וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנֵּה שָׁמַעְתִּי בְקֹלְכֶם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֲמַרְתֶּם לִי וָאַמְלִיךְ עֲלֵיכֶם מֶלֶךְ

Samuel said to all Israel at Saul’s coronation ceremony: Behold, I have heeded your voice with regard to everything that you have said to me, and I have crowned a king over you. Now you all agree that he is a worthy king.

וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה הַמֶּלֶךְ מִתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵיכֶם וַאֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי וָשַׂבְתִּי וּבָנַי הִנָּם אִתְּכֶם וַאֲנִי הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי לִפְנֵיכֶם מִנְּעֻרַי עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

Now behold, the king is walking before you; he has assumed his position of leadership over you, having acted as commander-in-chief in war. And I have grown old and gray; although I am not of old age, I look old, and no longer have much strength (see 8:1). And behold, my sons are here with you; they are not leaders like me, but regular citizens like you. Alternatively, this means: My sons are available to assist you with various issues. It is also possible that Samuel was hinting to the people that although he did not need their assistance personally, they should take care of his sons, who would have inherited his position had the people not rejected them. I have walked before you as a leader from my youth to this day.

הִנְנִי עֲנוּ בִי נֶגֶד ה' וְנֶגֶד מְשִׁיחוֹ אֶת שׁוֹר מִי לָקַחְתִּי וַחֲמוֹר מִי לָקַחְתִּי וְאֶת מִי עָשַׁקְתִּי אֶת מִי רַצּוֹתִי וּמִיַּד מִי לָקַחְתִּי כֹפֶר וְאַעְלִים עֵינַי בּוֹ וְאָשִׁיב לָכֶם

Here I am before you; now testify against me before the Lord, and before His anointed, Saul, the king who was anointed by His command: Whose ox did I take for my own benefit? Whose donkey did I take? Whom did I exploit in any manner? Whom did I pressure, oppress, or bribe for a favor? Or from whose hand did I take a bribe to consequently avert my eyes from him, from convicting him in court? Alternatively, this means: From whom have I taken collateral and not returned it to him on time? Tell me, and then I will return it to you. I have been a judge and a leader my entire life, and if I caused anyone injustice, we can now settle the matter.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא עֲשַׁקְתָּנוּ וְלֹא רַצּוֹתָנוּ וְלֹא לָקַחְתָּ מִיַּד אִישׁ מְאוּמָה

They said: You did not exploit us, and you did not pressure us, and you did not take anything from the hand of any man.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם עֵד ה' בָּכֶם וְעֵד מְשִׁיחוֹ הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה כִּי לֹא מְצָאתֶם בְּיָדִי מְאוּמָה וַיֹּאמֶר עֵד

He said to them: If so, the Lord is witness for you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you did not find anything in my hand. They said in unison: He is witness, i.e., they are witnesses.

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל הָעָם ה'אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאֶת אַהֲרֹן וַאֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָה אֶת אֲבֹתֵיכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם

After dealing with the technical issues pertaining to the transfer of power, Samuel addresses the more important matter. Samuel said to the people: It is the Lord who appointed [asa] Moses and Aaron to lead the people, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt, before whom you have now declared that you have no claims against me. The use of the term asa, literally “made,” to denote appointment indicates that these leaders were appointed not by the people but by God.

וְעַתָּה הִתְיַצְּבוּ וְאִשָּׁפְטָה אִתְּכֶם לִפְנֵי ה' אֵת כָּל צִדְקוֹת ה' אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אִתְּכֶם וְאֶת אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם

Now stand, and I will enter into judgment, examine with you before the Lord with regard to all the righteous acts of the Lord that He performed for you and for your fathers. This trial will encompass the entire history of our people until this day.

כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּא יַעֲקֹב מִצְרָיִם וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם אֶל ה'וַיִּשְׁלַח ה' אֶת מֹשֶׁה וְאֶת אַהֲרֹן וַיּוֹצִיאוּ אֶת אֲבֹתֵיכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם וַיֹּשִׁבוּם בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה

When Jacob and his family came to Egypt, your fathers cried out to the Lord due to the hardships of slavery, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they took your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

וַיִּשְׁכְּחוּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וַיִּמְכֹּר אֹתָם בְּיַד סִיסְרָא שַׂר צְבָא חָצוֹר וּבְיַד פְּלִשְׁתִּים וּבְיַד מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ בָּם

But they, your ancestors, forgot the Lord their God, and consequently He delivered them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hatzor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moav, and they made war against them. These were perhaps the most prominent of Israel’s enemies during that era.

וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אֶל ה' וַיֹּאמְרוּ חָטָאנוּ כִּי עָזַבְנוּ אֶת ה' וַנַּעֲבֹד אֶת הַבְּעָלִים וְאֶת הָעַשְׁתָּרוֹת וְעַתָּה הַצִּילֵנוּ מִיַּד אֹיְבֵינוּ וְנַעַבְדֶךָּ

They cried out to the Lord, and said: We have sinned, for we forsook the Lord, and worshipped the Be’alim and the Ashtarot, but now, deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will worship You. This was a repetitive cycle during the era of the judges; whenever trouble would befall the people of Israel, they would return to God. They would commit to abandoning their idol worship, and would request that God save them.

וַיִּשְׁלַח ה' אֶת יְרֻבַּעַל וְאֶת בְּדָן וְאֶת יִפְתָּח וְאֶת שְׁמוּאֵל וַיַּצֵּל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד אֹיְבֵיכֶם מִסָּבִיב וַתֵּשְׁבוּ בֶּטַח

The Lord sent Yerubaal, Gideon; and Bedan, son of Dan [ben dan], a reference to Samson, who was the most prominent member of the tribe of Dan; and Yiftah of Gilad; and Samuel, referring to himself in third person because now he was no longer discussing his personal affairs but the history of Israel; and He rescued you from the hand of your enemies all around, and you dwelled in security.

וַתִּרְאוּ כִּי נָחָשׁ מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן בָּא עֲלֵיכֶם וַתֹּאמְרוּ לִי לֹא כִּי מֶלֶךְ יִמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ וה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מַלְכְּכֶם

When you saw that Nahash king of the children of Amon was coming against you, and you said to me: No, we reject your warnings, for a king shall reign over us. But you did not need a king; the Lord your God is your king. He fought for you and saved you from all your oppressors.

וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתֶּם אֲשֶׁר שְׁאֶלְתֶּם וְהִנֵּה נָתַן ה' עֲלֵיכֶם מֶלֶךְ

Now, since you insisted on appointing a human king, behold, the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have requested, and behold, the Lord has appointed a king over you.

אִם תִּירְאוּ אֶת ה' וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֹתוֹ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם בְּקֹלוֹ וְלֹא תַמְרוּ אֶת פִּי ה'וִהְיִתֶם גַּם אַתֶּם וְגַם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ עֲלֵיכֶם אַחַר ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

If you fear the Lord, and you serve Him and heed His voice, and you do not defy the directive of the Lord, and both you and the king who reigns over you will be following the Lord your God, then God will lead you, and you will enjoy His patronage.

וְאִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ בְּקוֹל ה' וּמְרִיתֶם אֶת פִּי ה'וְהָיְתָה יַד ה' בָּכֶם וּבַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם

But if you will not heed the voice of the Lord, and you will defy the directive of the Lord, the hand of the Lord will be against you and against your fathers.

גַּם עַתָּה הִתְיַצְּבוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת הַדָּבָר הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר ה' עֹשֶׂה לְעֵינֵיכֶם

This will be verified not only in the future; now, too, stand and see this great matter that the Lord is performing before your eyes.

הֲלוֹא קְצִיר חִטִּים הַיּוֹם אֶקְרָא אֶל ה' וְיִתֵּן קֹלוֹת וּמָטָר וּדְעוּ וּרְאוּ כִּי רָעַתְכֶם רַבָּה אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם בְּעֵינֵי ה' לִשְׁאוֹל לָכֶם מֶלֶךְ

Is it not wheat harvest today, the middle of the summer? Although rain does not fall at this time, I will call to the Lord and He will dispatch thunder and rain, and you will know and see that your evil that you have performed is great in the eyes of the Lord, to request a king for yourselves. This will be a divine sign that my statement is correct.

וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל ה'וַיִּתֵּן ה' קֹלֹת וּמָטָר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיִּירָא כָל הָעָם מְאֹד אֶת ה' וְאֶת שְׁמוּאֵל

Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord gave thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. This rare occurrence caused them to panic.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ כָל הָעָם אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל הִתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַד עֲבָדֶיךָ אֶל ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְאַל נָמוּת כִּי יָסַפְנוּ עַל כָּל חַטֹּאתֵינוּ רָעָה לִשְׁאֹל לָנוּ מֶלֶךְ

All the people said to Samuel: Pray on behalf of your servants to the Lord your God, that we will not die, for we have added evil upon all our sins in requesting a king for ourselves, as the heavens are now demonstrating.

וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל הָעָם אַל תִּירָאוּ אַתֶּם עֲשִׂיתֶם אֵת כָּל הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת אַךְ אַל תָּסוּרוּ מֵאַחֲרֵי ה' וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֶת ה' בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם

Samuel said to the people: Do not fear, although you have done all this evil, but do not stray away from following the Lord, and worship the Lord with all your heart.

וְלֹא תָּסוּרוּ כִּי אַחֲרֵי הַתֹּהוּ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יוֹעִילוּ וְלֹא יַצִּילוּ כִּי תֹהוּ הֵמָּה

Do not stray away from the path of God; for if you do so, then it would be following the emptiness and idolatry that will not avail and will not bring deliverance, for they are emptiness.

כִּי לֹא יִטֹּשׁ ה' אֶת עַמּוֹ בַּעֲבוּר שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל כִּי הוֹאִיל ה' לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶתְכֶם לוֹ לְעָם

For the Lord will not forsake His people for the sake of His great name, as the Lord decided, God wished, to make you His people.

גַּם אָנֹכִי חָלִילָה לִּי מֵחֲטֹא לַה' מֵחֲדֹל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעַדְכֶם וְהוֹרֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם בְּדֶרֶךְ הַטּוֹבָה וְהַיְשָׁרָה

I too, far be it from me to sin against the Lord, to cease to pray on your behalf; I will continue to pray for you, as you have requested, and I will instruct you on the good and right path. Although you have a king, I will remain your spiritual guide.

אַךְ יְראוּ אֶת ה' וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֹתוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם כִּי רְאוּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִגְדִּל עִמָּכֶם

Only fear the Lord, and serve Him truly with all your heart, for see that which He has done greatly for you.

וְאִם הָרֵעַ תָּרֵעוּ גַּם אַתֶּם גַּם מַלְכְּכֶם תִּסָּפוּ

But if you do evil, both you and your king will perish. Your fate depends entirely on your connection to God. Although you have sinned, you need not change anything; simply conduct yourselves according to the right path, and God will continue to assist you.