1 Samuel 8

1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

The name of his first son was Joel and the name of his second Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.

3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

And his sons did not go in his ways, but moved by the love of money took rewards, and were not upright in judging.

4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

Then all the responsible men of Israel got together and went to Samuel at Ramah,

5 “Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”

And said to him, See now, you are old, and your sons do not go in your ways: give us a king now to be our judge, so that we may be like the other nations.

6 But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.

But Samuel was not pleased when they said to him, Give us a king to be our judge. And Samuel made prayer to the Lord.

7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.

And the Lord said to Samuel, Give ear to the voice of the people and what they say to you: they have not been turned away from you, but they have been turned away from me, not desiring me to be king over them.

8 Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

As they have done from the first, from the day when I took them out of Egypt till this day, turning away from me and worshipping other gods, so now they are acting in the same way to you.

9 Now listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.”

Give ear now to their voice: but make a serious protest to them, and give them a picture of the sort of king who will be their ruler.

10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king.

And Samuel said all these words of the Lord to the people who were desiring a king.

11 He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of his chariots.

And he said, This is the sort of king who will be your ruler: he will take your sons and make them his servants, his horsemen, and drivers of his war-carriages, and they will go running before his war-carriages;

12 He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his weapons of war, and to equip his chariots.

And he will make them captains of thousands and of fifties; some he will put to work ploughing and cutting his grain and making his instruments of war and building his war-carriages.

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

Your daughters he will take to be makers of perfumes and cooks and bread-makers.

14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants.

He will take your fields and your vine-gardens and your olive-gardens, all the best of them, and give them to his servants.

15 He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants.

He will take a tenth of your seed and of the fruit of your vines and give it to his servants.

16 And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle and donkeys and put them to his own use.

He will take your men-servants and your servant-girls, and the best of your oxen and your asses and put them to his work.

17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

He will take a tenth of your sheep: and you will be his servants.

18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”

Then you will be crying out because of your king whom you have taken for yourselves; but the Lord will not give you an answer in that day.

19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us.

But the people gave no attention to the voice of Samuel; and they said, No, but we will have a king over us,

20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.”

So that we may be like the other nations, and so that our king may be our judge and go out before us to war.

21 Samuel listened to all the words of the people and repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.

Then Samuel, after hearing all the people had to say, went and gave an account of it to the Lord.

22 “Listen to their voice,” the LORD said to Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Everyone must go back to his city.”

And the Lord said to Samuel, Give ear to their voice and make a king for them. Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, Let every man go back to his town.