1 Samuel 8
1 Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
When Samuel became old, he appointed his two sons, Joel and Abijah, to lead/rule the people of Israel.
2 The name of his first son was Joel and the name of his second Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.
They judged people’s disputes/cases in Beersheba [town].
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.
But they were not like their father. They wanted only to get a lot of money. They accepted bribes, and they did not make honest decisions about people’s disputes/cases.
4 Then all the responsible men of Israel got together and went to Samuel at Ramah,
Finally, the Israeli leaders met at Ramah [town to discuss the matter] with Samuel.
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.
They said to him, “Listen! You are now old, and your sons are not like you. Appoint a king to rule over us, like the kings that other countries 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.
Samuel was very unhappy with them for requesting that, so he prayed to Yahweh about it.
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.
Yahweh replied, “Do what they have requested you to do. But ([do not think/the truth is not]) that you are the one whom they are really rejecting. I have been their king, and I am the one they are really rejecting.
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.
Ever since I brought them out of Egypt, they have rejected me, and they have worshiped other gods. And now they are also rejecting you in the same way.
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.
Do what they are asking you to do. But warn/tell them about how their kings will act toward them!”
10 And Samuel said all these words of the Lord to the people who were desiring a king.
So Samuel told those people what Yahweh had said.
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;
He said, “If a king rules over you, this is what he will do to you: He will force many of your sons to join the army. He will make [some of] them run in front of his chariots [to clear people out of his way].
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.
[Some of] them will be commanders of his soldiers, but others will work for him like slaves. He will force some of them to plow his fields and [then later] harvest his crops. He will force others to make his weapons and equipment for his chariots.
13 Your daughters he will take to be makers of perfumes and cooks and bread-makers.
The king will take [some of] your daughters [from you and force them] to make perfumes for him and cook food for him and bake [bread for him].
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.
He will take your best fields and vineyards and olive tree groves/orchards, and give them to his own officials.
15 He will take a tenth of your seed and of the fruit of your vines and give it to his servants.
He will take a tenth of your harvests and distribute it among the officers and servants [who work in] his [palace].
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.
He will take from you your male and female servants, your best cattle and donkeys, and force them to work for him.
17 He will take a tenth of your sheep: and you will be his servants.
He will take one tenth of your sheep and goats. And you will become his slaves!
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.
When that time comes, you will complain loudly to the king, the king that you yourselves have chosen, but Yahweh will not (pay attention to/help) you.”
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 refused to pay attention to what Samuel said. They said, “We do not [care what you say]! We want a king!
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.
We want to be like the other nations. We want a king to rule us and to lead our soldiers when they go to fight.”
21 Then Samuel, after hearing all the people had to say, went and gave an account of it to the Lord.
When Samuel told Yahweh what the people had said,
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.
Yahweh replied, “Do what they are telling you to do. Give them a king!” [So Samuel agreed], and then he sent the people home.
