I Samuel 8

¹When Samuel was nowe become olde, he made his sonnes Iudges ouer Israel.

²(And the name of his eldest sonne was Ioel, and the name of the second Abiah) euen Iudges in Beer-sheba.

³And his sonnes walked not in his wayes, but turned aside after lucre, and tooke rewards, and peruerted the iudgement.

⁴Wherefore all the Elders of Israel gathered them together, and came to Samuel vnto Ramah,

⁵And said vnto him, Beholde, thou art olde, and thy sonnes walke not in thy wayes: make vs nowe a King to iudge vs like all nations.

⁶But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Giue vs a King to iudge vs: and Samuel prayed vnto the Lord.

⁷And the Lord said vnto Samuel, Heare the voyce of the people in all that they shall say vnto thee: for they haue not cast thee away, but they haue cast me away, that I should not reigne ouer the.

⁸As they haue euer done since I brought them out of Egypt euen vnto this day, (and haue forsaken me, and serued other gods) euen so doe they vnto thee.

⁹Nowe therefore hearken vnto their voyce: howbeit yet testifie vnto them, and shewe them the maner of ye King that shall reigne ouer them.

¹⁰So Samuel told all the wordes of the Lord vnto the people that asked a King of him.

¹¹And he saide, This shall be the maner of the King that shall reigne ouer you: he will take your sonnes, and appoint them to his charets, and to be his horsemen, and some shall runne before his charet.

¹²Also he will make them his captaines ouer thousands, and captaines ouer fifties, and to eare his ground, and to reape his haruest, and to make instruments of warre, and the thinges that serue for his charets.

¹³He will also take your daughters and make them apoticaries, and cookes, and bakers.

¹⁴And he will take your fieldes, and your vineyardes, and your best Oliue trees, and giue them to his seruants.

¹⁵And he will take the tenth of your seede, and of your vineyards, and giue it to his Eunuches, and to his seruants.

¹⁶And he will take your men seruants, and your maide seruants, and the chiefe of your yong men, and your asses, and put them to his worke.

¹⁷He will take the tenth of your sheepe, and ye shall be his seruants.

¹⁸And ye shall crie out at that day, because of your King, whom ye haue chosen you, and the Lord will not heare you at that day.

¹⁹But the people would not heare the voyce of Samuel, but did say, Nay, but there shall be a King ouer vs.

²⁰And we also will be like all other nations, and our King shall iudge vs, and goe out before vs, and fight our battels.

²¹Therefore when Samuel heard all ye wordes of ye people, he rehearsed the in ye eares of ye Lord.

²²And the Lord saide to Samuel, Hearken vnto their voyce, and make them a King. And Samuel said vnto the men of Israel, Goe euery man vnto his citie.

I Samuel 8

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

²Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer–sheba.

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

⁴Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

⁵And 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.

⁶But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.

⁷And 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.

⁸According 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.

⁹Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

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

¹¹And 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.

¹²And 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.

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁸And 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.

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

²⁰That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

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

²²And 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.