1 Samuel 8
1 When Samuel was nowe become olde, he made his sonnes Iudges ouer Israel.
Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 (And the name of his eldest sonne was Ioel, and the name of the second Abiah) euen Iudges in Beer-sheba.
The name of his first son was Joel and the name of his second Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.
3 And his sonnes walked not in his wayes, but turned aside after lucre, and tooke rewards, and peruerted the iudgement.
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 Wherefore all the Elders of Israel gathered them together, and came to Samuel vnto Ramah,
Then all the responsible men of Israel got together and went to Samuel at Ramah,
5 And said vnto him, Beholde, thou art olde, and thy sonnes walke not in thy wayes: make vs nowe a King to iudge vs like all 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 the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Giue vs a King to iudge vs: and Samuel prayed vnto 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 vnto Samuel, Heare the voyce of the people in all that they shall say vnto thee: for they haue not cast thee away, but they haue cast me away, that I should not reigne ouer the.
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 As they haue euer done since I brought them out of Egypt euen vnto this day, (and haue forsaken me, and serued other gods) euen so doe they vnto thee.
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 Nowe therefore hearken vnto their voyce: howbeit yet testifie vnto them, and shewe them the maner of ye King that shall reigne ouer 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 told all the wordes of the Lord vnto the people that asked a King of him.
And Samuel said all these words of the Lord to the people who were desiring a king.
11 And he saide, This shall be the maner of the King that shall reigne ouer you: he will take your sonnes, and appoint them to his charets, and to be his horsemen, and some shall runne before his charet.
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 Also he will make them his captaines ouer thousands, and captaines ouer fifties, and to eare his ground, and to reape his haruest, and to make instruments of warre, and the thinges that serue for his charets.
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 He will also take your daughters and make them apoticaries, and cookes, and bakers.
Your daughters he will take to be makers of perfumes and cooks and bread-makers.
14 And he will take your fieldes, and your vineyardes, and your best Oliue trees, and giue them to his seruants.
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 And he will take the tenth of your seede, and of your vineyards, and giue it to his Eunuches, and to his seruants.
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 men seruants, and your maide seruants, and the chiefe of your yong men, and your asses, and put them to his worke.
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 the tenth of your sheepe, and ye shall be his seruants.
He will take a tenth of your sheep: and you will be his servants.
18 And ye shall crie out at that day, because of your King, whom ye haue chosen you, and the Lord will not heare you at 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 But the people would not heare the voyce of Samuel, but did say, Nay, but there shall be a King ouer vs.
But the people gave no attention to the voice of Samuel; and they said, No, but we will have a king over us,
20 And we also will be like all other nations, and our King shall iudge vs, and goe out before vs, and fight our battels.
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 Therefore when Samuel heard all ye wordes of ye people, he rehearsed the in ye eares of ye Lord.
Then Samuel, after hearing all the people had to say, went and gave an account of it to the Lord.
22 And the Lord saide to Samuel, Hearken vnto their voyce, and make them a King. And Samuel said vnto the men of Israel, Goe euery man vnto his citie.
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.
