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.

I Samuel 8

¹And it cometh to pass, when Samuel is aged, that he maketh his sons judges over Israel.

²And the name of his first-born son is Joel, and the name of his second Abiah, judges in Beer-Sheba:

³and his sons have not walked in his ways, and turn aside after the dishonest gain, and take a bribe, and turn aside judgment.

⁴And all the elders of Israel gather themselves together, and come in unto Samuel to Ramath,

⁵and say unto him, `Lo, thou hast become aged, and thy sons have not walked in thy ways; now, appoint to us a king, to judge us, like all the nations.'

⁶And the thing is evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they have said, `Give to us a king to judge us;' and Samuel prayeth unto Jehovah.

⁷And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Hearken to the voice of the people, to all that they say unto thee, for thee they have not rejected, but Me they have rejected, from reigning over them.

⁸According to all the works that they have done from the day of My bringing them up out of Egypt, even unto this day, when they forsake Me, and serve other godsso they are doing also to thee.

⁹And now, hearken to their voice; only, surely thou dost certainly protest to them, and hast declared to them the custom of the king who doth reign over them.'

¹⁰And Samuel speaketh all the words of Jehovah unto the people who are asking from him a king,

¹¹and saith, `This is the custom of the king who doth reign over you: Your sons he doth take, and hath appointed for himself among his chariots, and among his horsemen, and they have run before his chariots;

¹²also to appoint for himself heads of thousands, and heads of fifties; also to plow his plowing, and to reap his reaping; and to make instruments of his war, and instruments of his charioteer.

¹³`And your daughters he doth take for perfumers, and for cooks, and for bakers;

¹⁴and your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yardsthe besthe doth take, and hath given to his servants.

¹⁵And your seed and your vineyards he doth tithe, and hath given to his eunuchs, and to his servants.

¹⁶And your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your young menthe best, and your asses, he doth take, and hath prepared for his own work;

¹⁷your flock he doth tithe, and ye are to him for servants.

¹⁸And ye have cried out in that day because of the king whom ye have chosen for yourselves, and Jehovah doth not answer you in that day.'

¹⁹And the people refuse to hearken to the voice of Samuel, and say, `Nay, but a king is over us,

²⁰and we have been, even we, like all the nations; and our king hath judged us, and gone out before us, and fought our battles.'

²¹And Samuel heareth all the words of the people, and speaketh them in the ears of Jehovah;

²²and Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Hearken to their voice, and thou hast caused to reign over them a king.' And Samuel saith unto the men of Israel, `Go ye each to his city.'