I Samuel 8

¹Forsothe it was don, whanne Samuel hadde wexide eld, he settide hise sones iugis on Israel.

²And the name of his firste gendrid sone was Johel, and the name of the secounde was Abia, iugis in Bersabee.

³And hise sones yeden not in `the weies of hym, but thei bowiden after aueryce, and thei token yiftis, and peruertiden doom.

⁴Therfor alle the grettere men in birthe of Israel weren gaderid, and camen to Samuel in to Ramatha.

⁵And thei seiden to hym, Lo! thou hast wexid eld, and thi sones goen not in thi weies; ordeyne thou a kyng to vs, `that he deme vs, as also alle naciouns han.

⁶And the word displeside in the iyen of Samuel, for thei hadden seid, Yyue thou to vs a kyng, that he deme vs. And Samuel preiede to the Lord.

⁷Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou the vois of the puple in alle thingis whiche thei speken to thee; for thei han not caste awey thee, but me, that Y regne not on hem.

⁸Bi alle her werkis whiche thei diden, fro the day in whiche Y ledde hem out of Egipt `til to this dai, as thei forsoken me, and seruyden alien goddis, so thei doon also to thee.

⁹Now therfor here thou her vois; netheles witnesse thou to hem; biforseie thou to hem the riyt of the kyng, that schal regne on hem.

¹⁰Therfor Samuel seide alle the wordis of the Lord to the puple, that hadde axid of him a king; and he seide,

¹¹This schal be the `riyt of the kyng, that schal comaunde to you; he schal take youre sones, and schal sette in hise charis;

¹²and he schal make hem `to hym silf rideris, and biforegoeris of hise cartis; and he schal ordeyne to hym tribunes, `that is, souereyns of a thousynd, and centuriouns, `that is, souereyns of an hundrid, and eereris of hise feeldis, and reperis of cornes, and smythis of hise armeris, and charis.

¹³Also he schal make youre douytris makeris of `oynementis to hym silf, and fueris, and bakeris.

¹⁴And he schal take youre feeldis and vyneris and the beste places of olyues, and schal yyue to hise seruauntis.

¹⁵But also he schal take the tenthe part of youre cornes, and rentis of vyneris, that he yyue to his chaumberleyns and seruauntis.

¹⁶Sotheli he schal take awey youre seruauntis and handmaydes, and beste yong men, and assis, and schal sette in his werk.

¹⁷Also he schal take the tenthe part of youre flockis, and ye schulen be `seruauntis to hym.

¹⁸And ye schulen crye in that dai fro the face of youre kyng, whom ye han chose to you; and the Lord schal not here you in that dai; for ye axiden a kyng to you.

¹⁹Sotheli the puple nolde here the vois of Samuel, but thei seiden, Nay for a kyng schal be on vs;

²⁰and we also schulen be as alle folkis, and oure kyng schal deme vs, and he schal go out bifor vs, and he schal fiyte oure batel for vs.

²¹And Samuel herde alle the wordis of the puple, and `spak tho in the eeris of the Lord.

²²Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou `the vois of hem, and ordeyne thou a kyng on hem. And Samuel seide to the men of Israel, Ech man go in to his citee.

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.