I Samuel 8

¹And it happened that, when Samuel had become old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

²Now the name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of the second was Abijah: judges at Beersheba.

³But his sons did not walk in his ways. Instead, they turned aside, pursuing avarice. And they accepted bribes, and they perverted judgment.

⁴Therefore, all those greater by birth of Israel, having gathered together, went to Samuel at Ramah.

⁵And they said to him: “Behold, you are elderly, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Appoint for us a king, so that he may judge us, just as all the nations have.”

⁶And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, for they had said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

⁷Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they are saying to you. For they have not rejected you, but me, lest I reign over them.

⁸In accord with all their works, which they have done from the day when I led them away from Egypt, even to this day: just as they have forsaken me, and served foreign gods, so now they also do to you.

⁹Now therefore, hear their voice. Yet truly, testify to them and foretell to them the rights of the king who will reign over them.”

¹⁰And so, Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people, who had petitioned a king from him.

¹¹And he said: “This will be the right of the king who will have authority over you: He will take your sons, and place them in his chariots. And he will make them his horsemen and his runners before his four-horse chariots.

¹²And he will appoint them to be his tribunes and centurions, and the plowmen of his fields, and the harvesters of the grain, and the makers of his weapons and chariots.

¹³Likewise, your daughters he will take for himself as makers of ointments, and as cooks and bakers.

¹⁴Also, he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best olive groves, and he will give them to his servants.

¹⁵Moreover, he will take one tenth of your grain and of the results of your vineyards, so that he may give these to his eunuchs and servants.

¹⁶Then, too, he will take your servants, and handmaids, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and he will set them to his work.

¹⁷Also, he will take a tenth of your flocks. And you will be his servants.

¹⁸And you will cry out, in that day, from the face of the king, whom you have chosen for yourselves. And the Lord will not heed you, in that day. For you requested a king for yourselves.”

¹⁹But the people were not willing to listen to the voice of Samuel. Instead, they said: “By no means! For there shall be a king over us,

²⁰and we shall be just like all the Gentiles. And our king will judge us, and he will go out before us, and he will fight our wars for us.”

²¹And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them to the ears of the Lord.

²²Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and appoint a king over them.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Let each one go to his own city.”

I Samuel 8

¹And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.

²Now the name of his firstborn son was Joel: and the name of the second was Abia, judges in Bersabee.

³And his sons walked not in his ways: but they turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

⁴Then all the ancients of Israel being assembled came to Samuel to Ramatha.

⁵And they said to him: Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: make us a king, to judge us, as all nations have.

⁶And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, that they should say: Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

⁷And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them.

⁸According to all their works, they have done from the day that I brought them out of Egypt until this day: as they have forsaken me, and served strange gods, so do they also unto thee.

⁹Now, therefore, hearken to their voice: but yet testify to them, and foretell them the right of the king, that shall reign over them.

¹⁰Then Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that had desired a king of him,

¹¹And said: This will be the right of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and will make them his horsemen, and his running footmen, to run before his chariots,

¹²And he will appoint of them to be his tribunes, and his centurions, and to plough his fields, and to reap his corn, and to make him arms and chariots.

¹³Your daughters also he will take to make him ointments, and to be his cooks, and bakers.

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

¹⁵Moreover he will take the tenth of your corn, and of the revenues of your vineyards, to give to his eunuchs and servants.

¹⁶Your servants also, and handmaids, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, he will take away, and put them to his work.

¹⁷Your flocks also he will tithe, and you shall be his servants.

¹⁸And you shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom you have chosen to yourselves: and the Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king.

¹⁹But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, and they said, Nay: but there shall be a king over us,

²⁰And we also will be like all nations: and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles for us.

²¹And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.

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