1 Samuel 8

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 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.

And 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.

6 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.

And 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.

7 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.

And 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.

8 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.

According 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.

9 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.

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

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

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

11 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;

And 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,

12 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16 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.

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

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

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

18 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.

And 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.

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

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

20 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.

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

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

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

22 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.

And 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.