Targum Jonathan on I Samuel Chapter 12
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וַאֲמַר שְׁמוּאֵל לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל הָא קַבְּלֵית לְמֵימְרֵיכוֹן לְכָל דִי אֲמַרְתּוּן לִי וְאַמְלְכֵית עֲלֵיכוֹן מַלְכָּא:
And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have accepted your speech, all that you have said to me, and have made a king over you.
וּכְעַן הָא מַלְכָּא מְדַבֵּר בְּרֵישֵׁיכוֹן וַאֲנָא קָשִׁישׁ וְסָבֵית וּבְנַי הָא אִינוּן עִמְכוֹן וַאֲנָא הַלְכֵית קֳדָמֵיכוֹן מִזְעֵירַי עַד יוֹמָא הָדֵין:
And now, behold, the king leads you at your head; and I am old and grey, and behold, my sons are with you and I walked before you from my youth until this day.
הָא עַד דִי אֲנָא קַיָם אַסְהִידוּ בִי קֳדָם יְיָ וְקָדָם מְשִׁיחֵיהּ יַת תּוֹרָא דְמַן דַבָּרִית וַחֲמָרָא דְמַן שְׁחָרִית וְיַת מַן עֲשָׁקִית וְיַת מַן אֲנָסִית וּמִיַד מַן קַבְּלִית מָמוֹן דִשְׁקַר וּכְבֵישִׁית עֵינַי בְּדִינָא מִנֵיהּ וַאֲתֵיב לְכוֹן:
Behold, while I am living, testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I led away? And whose ass have I stolen? And whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? And of whose hand have I accepted money of falsehood to withhold my eye from him in court? And I will restore it to you!”
וַאֲמַרוּ לָא עֲשַׁקְתָּנָא וְלָא אֲנַסְתָּנָא וְלָא קַבֵּילְתָּא מִיַד אֱנָשׁ מִדָעַם:
And they said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or accepted anything from any man’s hand.”
וַאֲמַר לְהוֹן סְהֵיד מֵימְרָא דַייָ בְּכוֹן וְסָהֵיד מְשִׁיחֵיהּ יוֹמָא הָדֵין אֲרֵי לָא אַשְׁכַּחְתּוּן בִּידִי מִדָעַם וַאֲמָרוּ סָהִיד:
And he said to them, “The speech of the LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “Witness.”
וַאֲמַר שְׁמוּאֵל לְעַמָא יְיָ דַעֲבַד גְבוּרָן עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וּדְאַסֵיק יַת אֲבָהַתְכוֹן מֵאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם:
And Samuel said to the people, “[It is] the LORD, who did mighty deeds through the hands of Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
וּכְעַן אִתְעַתָּדוּ וְאִיתְוַכַּח עִמְכוֹן קֳדָם יְיָ יַת כָּל זַכְוָתָא דַייָ דַעֲבַד עִמְכוֹן וְעִם אַבָהַתְכוֹן:
So now, stand and let me testify with you before the LORD all the righteousness of the LORD which he performed for you and for your fathers.
כַּד עַל יַעֲקֹב לְמִצְרָיִם וּזְעִיקוּ אֲבָהַתְכוֹן קֳדָם יְיָ וּשְׁלַח יְיָ יַת מֹשֶׁה וְיַת אַהֲרֹן וְאַפִּיקוּ יַת אֲבָהַתְכוֹן מִמִצְרַיִם וְאוֹתִיבִינוּן בְּאַתְרָא הָדֵין:
When Jacob had gone into Egypt and your fathers cried before the LORD, the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.
וְאִתְנְשִׁיאוּ יַת פּוּלְחָנָא דַייָ אֱלָהָהוֹן וּמְסַר יַתְהוֹן בְּיַד סִיסְרָא רַב חֵילָא דְחָצוֹר וּבִידָא דִפְלִשְׁתָּאֵי וּבִידָא מַלְכָּא דְמוֹאָב וְאַגִיחוּ קְרָבָא בְּהוֹן:
But they forgot the worship of the LORD their God; and He surrendered them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they waged war against them.
וּזְעִיקוּ קֳדָם יְיָ וַאֲמַרוּ חַבְנָא אֲרֵי שְׁבַקְנָא יַת פּוּלְחָנָא דַייָ וּפְלַחְנָא יַת בְּעָלַיָא וְיַת עַשְׁתְּרָתָא וּכְעַן שֵׁיזְבָנָא מִיַד בַּעֲלֵי דְבָבָנָא וְנִפְלַח קֳדָמָךְ:
And they cried before the LORD and said, ‘We are guilty, because we have forsaken the worship of the LORD, and have worshipped the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now, deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will worship Thee.’
וּשְׁלַח יְיָ יַת גִדְעוֹן וְיַת שִׁמְשׁוֹן וְיַת יִפְתָּח וְיַת שְׁמוּאֵל וְשֵׁיזֵיב יַתְכוֹן מִיַד בַעֲלֵי דְבָבֵיכוֹן מִסְחוֹר סְחוֹר וִיתֵיבְתּוּן לְרוֹחֲצָן:
And the LORD sent Gideon and Samson and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety.
וַחֲזֵיתוּן אֲרֵי נָחָשׁ מַלְכָּא דִבְנֵי עַמוֹן אָתָא עֲלֵיכוֹן וַאֲמַרְתּוּן לִי לָא אֱלָהֵין מַלְכָּא יִמְלוֹךְ עֲלָנָא וַיְיָ אֱלָהָכוֹן מַלְכְּכוֹן:
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ while the LORD your God was your King.
וּכְעַן הָא מַלְכָּא דְאִתְרְעִיתוּן דִי שְׁאֶלְתּוּן וְהָא מַנֵי יְיָ עֲלֵיכוֹן מַלְכָּא:
And now, behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; and behold, the LORD has appointed a king over you.
אִם תִּדְחֲלוּ קֳדָם יְיָ וְתִפְלְחוּן קֳדָמוֹהִי וּתְקַבְּלוּן לְמֵימְרֵיהּ וְלָא תְסָרְבוּן עַל מֵימְרָא דַייָ וְתֶהֱווּן אַף אַתּוּן וְאַף מַלְכָּא דִמְלַךְ עֲלֵיכוֹן בָּתַר פּוּלְחָנָא דַייָ אֱלָהָכוֹן:
If you shall fear from before the LORD and worship before Him and receive his word and you shall not rebel against the speech of the LORD then both you and the king who reigns over you shall live in worship of the LORD your God.
וְאִם לָא תְקַבְּלוּן לְמֵימְרָא דַייָ וּתְסָרְבוּן עַל מֵימְרָא דַייָ וּתְהֵי מְחָתָא דַייָ בְּכוֹן כְּמָא דַהֲוַת בַּאֲבָהַתְכוֹן:
But if you will not accept the speech of the LORD, but rebel against the speech of the LORD then the stroke of the LORD will be on you, as it was on your fathers.
אַף כְּעַן אִיתְעַתָּדוּ וַחֲזוֹ יַת פִּתְגָמָא רַבָּא הָדֵין דַייָ עָבֵיד לְעֵינֵיכוֹן:
Now again, stand and see this great thing, which the LORD is doing before your eyes.
הֲלָא חֲצַד חִטִין יוֹמָא דֵין אֲצַלֵי קֳדָם יְיָ וְיִתֵּן קָלִין וּמִטְרָא וּדְעוֹ וַחֲזוֹ אֲרֵי בִישַׁתְכוֹן סַגִיאָה דַעֲבַדְתּוּן קֳדָם יְיָ לְמִישְׁאַל לְכוֹן מַלְכָּא:
Is it not wheat harvest today? I will pray before the LORD that He may send thunderclaps and rain; and know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done beforethe LORD, in asking for yourselves a king.”
וּקְרָא שְׁמוּאֵל קֳדָם יְיָ וִיהַב יְיָ קָלִין וּמִטְרָא בְּיוֹמָא הַהוּא וּדְחַל כָּל עַמָא לַחֲדָא מִן קֳדָם יְיָ וּמִפִּתְגָמֵי שְׁמוּאֵל:
So Samuel prayed before the LORD, and the LORD gave thunderclaps and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared before the LORD and (greatly feared) the words of Samuel.
וַאֲמַרוּ כָּל עַמָא לִשְׁמוּאֵל צַלֵי עַל עַבְדָךְ קֳדָם יְיָ אֱלָהָךְ וְלָא נְמוּת אֲרֵי אוֹסִיפְנָא עַל כָּל חוֹבָנָא בִּישְׁתָא לְמִשְׁאַל לָנָא מַלְכָּא:
And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray on behalf of your servants before the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our guilt the evil to ask for ourselves a king.”
וַאֲמַר שְׁמוּאֵל לְעַמָא לָא תִדְחֲלוּן אַתּוּן גְרַמְתּוּן יַת כָּל בִּישְׁתָּא הָדָא בְּרַם לָא תִסְטוּן מִבָּתַר פּוּלְחָנָא דַייָ וְתִפְלְחוּן קֳדָם יְיָ בְּכָל לִבְּכוֹן:
And Samuel said to the people, “Fear not; you may have brought about all this evil; even so do not turn aside from the worship of the LORD, but worship before the LORD with all your heart.
וְלָא תִסְטוּן מִבָּתַר פּוּלְחָנֵיהּ וְלָא תִפְלְחוּן לְטַעֲוָתָא דְאִינוּן לְמָא וְלֵית בְּהוֹן הֲנָאָה וְלָא מְשֵׁיזְבִין אֲרֵי לְמָא אִינוּן:
And do not turn aside from his worship and do not worship the idols, which are nothing, and which can neither profit nor deliver, for they are nothing.
אֲרֵי לָא יַרְחֵיק יְיָ יַת עַמֵיהּ בְּדִיל שְׁמֵיהּ רַבָּא אֲרֵי רַעֲוָא קֳדָם יְיָ לְמֶעְבַּד יַתְכוֹן קֳדָמוֹהִי לְעָם:
For the LORD will not reject his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has been the will before the LORD to make you a people for himself.
אַף אֲנָא חַס לִי מִלְמֶחְטֵי קֳדָם יְיָ מִלְאִתְמְנָעָא לְצַלָאָה עֲלֵיכוֹן וְאַלֵיף יַתְכוֹן דִתְהָכוּן בְּאוֹרַח תַּקְנָא וְכַשְׁרָא:
As for me, far be it from me that I should sin before the LORD and cease to pray concerning you. But I will teach you the way, that you may be in the right and the proper way.
בְּרַם דְחִילוּ מִן קֳדָם יְיָ וְתִפְלְחוּן קֳדָמוֹהִי בִּקְשׁוֹט בְּכָל לִבְּכוֹן אֲרֵי חֲזוֹ יַת דְאַסְגֵי לְמֶעְבַּד עִמְכוֹן:
Only fear before the LORD, and worship him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done with you.
וְאִם אַבְאָשָׁא תַּבְאֲשׁוּן עוֹבָדֵיכוֹן אַף אַתּוּן אַף מַלְכְּכוֹן תִּשְׁתֵּיצוּן:
But if you really do wicked deeds, both you and your king shall be destroyed.”