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Los israelitas piden un rey

Cuando Samuel entró en años, puso a sus hijos como gobernadores de Israel, con sede en Berseba. El hijo mayor se llamaba Joel, y el segundo, Abías. Pero ninguno de los dos siguió el ejemplo de su padre, sino que ambos se dejaron guiar por la avaricia, aceptando sobornos y pervirtiendo la justicia.

Por eso se reunieron los ancianos de Israel y fueron a Ramá para hablar con Samuel. Le dijeron: «Tú has envejecido ya, y tus hijos no siguen tu ejemplo. Mejor danos un rey que nos gobierne, como lo tienen todas las naciones».

Cuando le dijeron que querían tener un rey, Samuel se disgustó. Entonces se puso a orar al Señor, pero el Señor le dijo: «Hazle caso al pueblo en todo lo que te diga. En realidad, no te han rechazado a ti, sino a mí, pues no quieren que yo reine sobre ellos. Te están tratando del mismo modo que me han tratado a mí desde el día en que los saqué de Egipto hasta hoy. Me han abandonado para servir a otros dioses. Así que hazles caso, pero adviérteles claramente de cómo el rey va a gobernarlos».

10 Samuel comunicó entonces el mensaje del Señor a la gente que le estaba pidiendo un rey. 11 Les explicó:

―Así es cómo el rey va a gobernaros: Os quitará a vuestros hijos para que se hagan cargo de los carros militares y de la caballería, y para que le abran paso al carro real. 12 Los hará comandantes y capitanes,[a] y los pondrá a labrar y a cosechar, y a fabricar armamentos y pertrechos. 13 También os quitará a vuestras hijas para emplearlas como perfumistas, cocineras y panaderas. 14 Se apoderará de vuestros mejores campos, viñedos y olivares, y se los dará a sus ministros, 15 y a vosotros os exigirá una décima parte de vuestras cosechas y vendimias para entregársela a sus funcionarios y ministros. 16 Además, os quitará vuestros criados y criadas, y vuestros mejores bueyes[b] y asnos, de manera que trabajen para él. 17 Os exigirá una décima parte de vuestros rebaños, y vosotros mismos le serviréis como esclavos. 18 Cuando llegue aquel día, clamaréis por causa del rey que hayáis escogido, pero el Señor no os responderá.

19 El pueblo, sin embargo, no le hizo caso a Samuel, sino que dijo:

―¡De ninguna manera! Queremos un rey que nos gobierne. 20 Así seremos como las otras naciones, con un rey que nos gobierne y que marche al frente de nosotros cuando vayamos a la guerra.

21 Después de oír lo que el pueblo quería, Samuel se lo comunicó al Señor.

22 ―Hazles caso —respondió el Señor—; dales un rey.

Entonces Samuel les dijo a los israelitas:

―¡Regresad a vuestros pueblos!

Footnotes

  1. 8:12 comandantes y capitanes. Lit. jefes de mil y jefes de cincuenta.
  2. 8:16 bueyes (LXX); jóvenes (TM).

Israel Asks for a King

When Samuel grew old, he appointed(A) his sons as Israel’s leaders.[a] The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah,(B) and they served at Beersheba.(C) But his sons(D) did not follow his ways. They turned aside(E) after dishonest gain and accepted bribes(F) and perverted(G) justice.

So all the elders(H) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.(I) They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king(J) to lead[b](K) us, such as all the other nations(L) have.”

But when they said, “Give us a king(M) to lead us,” this displeased(N) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen(O) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,(P) but they have rejected me as their king.(Q) As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking(R) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know(S) what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

10 Samuel told(T) all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take(U) your sons and make them serve(V) with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.(W) 12 Some he will assign to be commanders(X) of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your(Y) fields and vineyards(Z) and olive groves and give them to his attendants.(AA) 15 He will take a tenth(AB) of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer(AC) you in that day.(AD)

19 But the people refused(AE) to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want(AF) a king(AG) over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations,(AH) with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated(AI) it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen(AJ) to them and give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 8:1 Traditionally judges
  2. 1 Samuel 8:5 Traditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20
  3. 1 Samuel 8:16 Septuagint; Hebrew young men

Israel Demands a King

When Samuel became old, (A)he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways (B)but turned aside after gain. (C)They took bribes and perverted justice.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at (D)Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. (E)Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, (F)for they have not rejected you, (G)but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them (H)and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

Samuel's Warning Against Kings

10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, (I)“These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: (J)he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some (K)to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 (L)He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men[a] and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, (M)but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

The Lord Grants Israel's Request

19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 (N)that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, (O)“Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 8:16 Septuagint cattle