1It happened, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
1人民要求立王撒母耳年老的時候,立了他的兒子作以色列人的士師。
2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beersheba.
2他的長子名叫約珥,次子名叫亞比亞,都在別是巴作士師。
3His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
3兩個兒子都沒有行撒母耳的道路,反而轉去追求不義之財,收受賄賂,屈枉正直。
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah;
4於是以色列所有的長老都集合起來,到拉瑪去見撒母耳,
5and they said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
5對他說:“你老了,看哪,你的兒子不行你的道路,現在求你為我們立一個王治理我們,好像列國一樣。”
6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to Yahweh.
6他們說“求你為我們立一個王治理我們”這件事,使撒母耳很不高興,他就禱告耶和華。
7Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.
7耶和華對撒母耳說:“眾民對你所說的一切,你只管聽從,因為他們不是厭棄你,而是厭棄我,不要我作他們的王。
8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to you.
8自從我把他們從埃及領上來的那天起,直到現在,他們怎樣離開我,事奉別的神,他們對我所行的一切,也照樣對你行。
9Now therefore listen to their voice: however you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who shall reign over them.”
9現在你只管聽從他們的話,但必須鄭重警告他們,告訴他們那要統治他們的王要怎樣治理他們。”
10Samuel told all the words of Yahweh to the people who asked of him a king.
10君王的權利於是,撒母耳把耶和華所講的一切話都告訴那些向他要求一個王的民眾,
11He said, “This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots;
11說:“那要統治你們的王將這樣治理你們:他必徵用你們的兒子,派他們作他的戰車兵、騎兵、在車前奔走的前鋒,
12and he will appoint them to him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.
12又派他們作千夫長、五十夫長,替他耕田、收他的莊稼、替他製造作戰的武器和戰車上的裝備。
13He will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
13他必徵用你們的女兒作配香膏的、燒飯的和烤餅的。
14He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves, even their best, and give them to his servants.
14他必奪去你們最好的田地、葡萄園和橄欖園,賜給自己的臣僕。
15He will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
15你們撒種所得的和葡萄園所出的,他都徵收十分之一,賜給他的太監和臣僕。
16He will take your male servants, and your female servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
16他又必徵收你們的僕婢、最精壯的青年和驢,替他工作。
17He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants.
17你們的羊群,他要徵收十分之一;連你們自己也作他的奴僕。
18You shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen you; and Yahweh will not answer you in that day.”
18到時,你們必因你們為自己揀選的王而哀求,那時耶和華卻不應允你們。”
19But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No; but we will have a king over us,
19人民堅決要求立王眾民竟不肯聽從撒母耳的話,說:“不,我們要一個王治理我們,
20that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”
20讓我們也像列國一樣,有自己的王治理我們,帥領我們出征,為我們作戰。”
21Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Yahweh.
21撒母耳聽了眾民的一切話,就向耶和華複述。
22Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and make them a king.” Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”
22耶和華對撒母耳說:“你只管聽從他們的話,為他們立一個王。”於是撒母耳對以色列人說:“你們各人回自己的城去吧。”