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人民要求立王

撒母耳年老的时候,立了他的儿子作以色列人的士师。 他的长子名叫约珥,次子名叫亚比亚,都在别是巴作士师。 两个儿子都没有行撒母耳的道路,反而转去追求不义之财,收受贿赂,屈枉正直。

于是以色列所有的长老都集合起来,到拉玛去见撒母耳, 对他说:“你老了,看哪,你的儿子不行你的道路,现在求你为我们立一个王治理我们,好象列国一样。” 他们说“求你为我们立一个王治理我们”这件事,使撒母耳很不高兴,他就祷告耶和华。 耶和华对撒母耳说:“众民对你所说的一切,你只管听从,因为他们不是厌弃你,而是厌弃我,不要我作他们的王。 自从我把他们从埃及领上来的那天起,直到现在,他们怎样离开我,事奉别的神,他们对我所行的一切,也照样对你行。 现在你只管听从他们的话,但必须郑重警告他们,告诉他们那要统治他们的王要怎样治理他们。”

君王的权利

10 于是,撒母耳把耶和华所讲的一切话都告诉那些向他要求一个王的民众, 11 说:“那要统治你们的王将这样治理你们:他必征用你们的儿子,派他们作他的战车兵、骑兵、在车前奔走的前锋, 12 又派他们作千夫长、五十夫长,替他耕田、收他的庄稼、替他制造作战的武器和战车上的装备。 13 他必征用你们的女儿作配香膏的、烧饭的和烤饼的。 14 他必夺去你们最好的田地、葡萄园和橄榄园,赐给自己的臣仆。 15 你们撒种所得的和葡萄园所出的,他都征收十分之一,赐给他的太监和臣仆。 16 他又必征收你们的仆婢、最精壮的青年和驴,替他工作。 17 你们的羊群,他要征收十分之一;连你们自己也作他的奴仆。 18 到时,你们必因你们为自己拣选的王而哀求,那时耶和华却不应允你们。”

人民坚决要求立王

19 众民竟不肯听从撒母耳的话,说:“不,我们要一个王治理我们, 20 让我们也像列国一样,有自己的王治理我们,帅领我们出征,为我们作战。” 21 撒母耳听了众民的一切话,就向耶和华复述。 22 耶和华对撒母耳说:“你只管听从他们的话,为他们立一个王。”于是撒母耳对以色列人说:“你们各人回自己的城去吧。”

以色列人要求立王

撒母耳在年老的時候立了他的兒子做以色列人的士師。 他的長子是約珥,次子是亞比亞,他們在別示巴做士師。 然而,他們沒有效法自己的父親,而是愛慕不義之財,貪贓枉法。

於是,以色列的長老一起到拉瑪去見撒母耳, 說:「你年紀大了,你的兒子不效法你。現在求你為我們立一個王治理我們,像其他國家一樣。」 撒母耳聽到他們要求立一個王治理他們,心中不悅,就向耶和華禱告。 耶和華對撒母耳說:「你照他們所說的去做吧,因為他們不是拒絕你,而是拒絕我做他們的王。 自從我把他們從埃及領出來以後,他們就常常背棄我,去供奉其他神明。現在,他們也這樣對待你。 你就照他們所求的去做吧!但你要警告他們,讓他們知道將來王會怎樣管轄他們。」

10 撒母耳就把耶和華的話轉告給那些請求他立王的民眾,說: 11 「將來管轄你們的王會徵用你們的兒子做他的戰車兵、騎兵,要他們跑在他的戰車前面。 12 他會派一些人做千夫長、五十夫長,一些人為他耕種田地、收割莊稼,一些人製造兵器和戰車的裝備。 13 他會把你們的女兒帶走,要她們給他造香膏、煮飯和烤餅。 14 他會奪去你們最好的田地、葡萄園和橄欖園,送給他的臣僕。 15 他會從你們的糧食和葡萄園的出產中收取十分之一,送給他的官員和臣僕。 16 他會徵用你們的僕婢及最好的牛[a]和驢來為他效勞。 17 他會拿去你們羊群的十分之一,並讓你們做他的奴僕。 18 將來你們會因所選之王的壓迫而呼求耶和華,耶和華卻不會垂聽你們。」

19 民眾卻不肯聽從撒母耳的話。他們說:「不,我們想要一個王治理我們, 20 這樣我們就會像其他國家一樣,有王來統治我們,率領我們,為我們作戰。」 21 撒母耳把這些人的話一五一十地告訴了耶和華。 22 耶和華對撒母耳說:「照他們說的去為他們立一個王吧。」於是,撒母耳對以色列人說:「你們各人回自己的城去吧。」

Footnotes

  1. 8·16 」有古卷作「青年」。

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.

And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make 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 unto the Lord.

And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10 And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.

11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

20 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 Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.

22 And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.