Los israelitas piden un rey
1Cuando Samuel entró en años, puso a sus hijos como gobernadores de Israel, 2con sede en Berseba. El hijo mayor se llamaba Joel, y el segundo, Abías. 3Pero 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.
4Por eso se reunieron los ancianos de Israel y fueron a Ramá para hablar con Samuel. 5Le 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».
6Cuando le dijeron que querían tener un rey, Samuel se disgustó. Entonces se puso a orar al Señor, 7pero 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. 8Te 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. 9Así que hazles caso, pero adviérteles claramente de cómo el rey va a gobernarlos».
10Samuel comunicó entonces el mensaje del Señor a la gente que le estaba pidiendo un rey. 11Les 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. 12Los hará comandantes y capitanes,8:12 comandantes y capitanes. Lit. jefes de mil y jefes de cincuenta. y los pondrá a labrar y a cosechar, y a fabricar armamentos y pertrechos. 13También os quitará a vuestras hijas para emplearlas como perfumistas, cocineras y panaderas. 14Se apoderará de vuestros mejores campos, viñedos y olivares, y se los dará a sus ministros, 15y a vosotros os exigirá una décima parte de vuestras cosechas y vendimias para entregársela a sus funcionarios y ministros. 16Además, os quitará vuestros criados y criadas, y vuestros mejores bueyes8:16 bueyes (LXX); jóvenes (TM). y asnos, de manera que trabajen para él. 17Os exigirá una décima parte de vuestros rebaños, y vosotros mismos le serviréis como esclavos. 18Cuando llegue aquel día, clamaréis por causa del rey que hayáis escogido, pero el Señor no os responderá.
19El pueblo, sin embargo, no le hizo caso a Samuel, sino que dijo:
―¡De ninguna manera! Queremos un rey que nos gobierne. 20Así seremos como las otras naciones, con un rey que nos gobierne y que marche al frente de nosotros cuando vayamos a la guerra.
21Después 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!
Israel Asks for a King
1When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. 2The name of his oldest son was Joel. The name of his second son was Abijah. They served as judges at Beersheba. 3But his sons didn’t live as he did. They were only interested in making money. They accepted money from people who wanted special favors. They made things that were wrong appear to be right.
4So all the elders of Israel gathered together. They came to Samuel at Ramah. 5They said to him, “You are old. Your sons don’t live as you do. So appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all the other nations have.”
6Samuel wasn’t pleased when they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So he prayed to the Lord. 7The Lord told him, “Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king. 8They are doing just as they have always done. They have deserted me and served other gods. They have done that from the time I brought them up out of Egypt until this day. Now they are deserting you too. 9Let them have what they want. But give them a strong warning. Let them know what the king who rules over them will expect to be done for him.”
10Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything the Lord had said. 11Samuel told them, “Here’s what the king who rules over you will expect to be done for him. He will take your sons. He’ll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots. 12He’ll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plow his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots. 13He’ll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake. 14He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He’ll give them to his attendants. 15He will take a tenth of your grain and a tenth of your grapes. He’ll give it to his officials and attendants. 16He will also take your male and female servants. He’ll take your best cattle and donkeys. He’ll use all of them any way he wants to. 17He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves. 18When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the Lord won’t answer you at that time.”
19In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. “No!” they said. “We want a king to rule over us. 20Then we’ll be like all the other nations. We’ll have a king to lead us. He’ll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles.”
21Samuel heard everything the people said. He told the Lord about it. 22The Lord answered, “Listen to them. Give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Each of you go back to your own town.”
