1 Samuel 8

1 And it happened that, when Samuel had become old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

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

2 Now the name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of the second was Abijah: judges at Beersheba.

And the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah; they judged in Beer-sheba.

3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. Instead, they turned aside, pursuing avarice. And they accepted bribes, and they perverted judgment.

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

4 Therefore, all those greater by birth of Israel, having gathered together, went to Samuel at Ramah.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah,

5 And they said to him: “Behold, you are elderly, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Appoint for us a king, so that he may judge us, just as all the nations have.”

and said to him, Behold, thou art become old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now appoint us a king to judge us, like all the nations.

6 And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, for they had said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

And the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to Jehovah.

7 Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they are saying to you. For they have not rejected you, but me, lest I reign over them.

And Jehovah said to 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.

8 In accord with all their works, which they have done from the day when I led them away from Egypt, even to this day: just as they have forsaken me, and served foreign gods, so now they also do to you.

According to all the deeds that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

9 Now therefore, hear their voice. Yet truly, testify to them and foretell to them the rights of the king who will reign over them.”

And now hearken unto their voice; only, testify solemnly unto them, and declare unto them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10 And so, Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people, who had petitioned a king from him.

And Samuel spoke all the words of Jehovah to the people that asked of him a king.

11 And he said: “This will be the right of the king who will have authority over you: He will take your sons, and place them in his chariots. And he will make them his horsemen and his runners before his four-horse chariots.

And 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, on his chariot and among his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariots;

12 And he will appoint them to be his tribunes and centurions, and the plowmen of his fields, and the harvesters of the grain, and the makers of his weapons and chariots.

and [he will take them] that he may appoint for himself captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and that they may plough his ground, and reap his harvest, and make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots.

13 Likewise, your daughters he will take for himself as makers of ointments, and as cooks and bakers.

And he will take your daughters for perfumers, and cooks, and bakers.

14 Also, he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best olive groves, and he will give them to his servants.

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

15 Moreover, he will take one tenth of your grain and of the results of your vineyards, so that he may give these to his eunuchs and servants.

And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his chamberlains and to his servants.

16 Then, too, he will take your servants, and handmaids, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and he will set them to his work.

And he will take your bondmen, and your bondwomen, and your comeliest young men, and your asses, and use them for his work.

17 Also, he will take a tenth of your flocks. And you will be his servants.

He will take the tenth of your sheep. And ye shall be his servants.

18 And you will cry out, in that day, from the face of the king, whom you have chosen for yourselves. And the Lord will not heed you, in that day. For you requested a king for yourselves.”

And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye have chosen; and Jehovah will not answer you in that day.

19 But the people were not willing to listen to the voice of Samuel. Instead, they said: “By no means! For there shall be a king over us,

And the people refused to hearken to the voice of Samuel; and they said, No, but there shall be a king over us,

20 and we shall be just like all the Gentiles. And our king will judge us, and he will go out before us, and he will fight our wars for us.”

that we also may be like all the nations; and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and conduct our wars.

21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them to the ears of the Lord.

And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the ears of Jehovah.

22 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and appoint a king over them.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Let each one go to his own city.”

And Jehovah said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go ye every man to his city.