1 Samuel 8

1 And it comes to pass, when Samuel [is] aged, that he makes his sons judges over Israel.

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

2 And the name of his firstborn son is Joel, and the name of his second Abiah, judges 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 sons have not walked in his ways, and turn aside after the dishonest gain, and take a bribe, and turn aside judgment.

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 And all [the] elderly of Israel gather themselves together, and come to Samuel at Ramath,

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

5 and say to him, “Behold, you have become aged, and your sons have not walked in your ways; now, appoint a king to us, to judge us, like all the 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 And the thing is evil in the eyes of Samuel when they have said, “Give a king to us, to judge us”; and Samuel prays to YHWH.

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 YHWH says to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people, to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from reigning over them.

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 According to all the works that they have done from the day of My bringing them up out of Egypt, even to this day, when they forsake Me, and serve other gods—so they are also 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 And now, listen to their voice; only, surely you certainly protest to them, and have declared to them the custom of the king who reigns 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 And Samuel speaks all the words of YHWH to the people who are asking [for] a king from him,

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

11 and says, “This is the custom of the king who reigns over you: he takes your sons, and has appointed for himself among his chariots, and among his horsemen, and they have run before 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 also to appoint for himself heads of thousands, and heads of fifties; also to plow his plowing, and to reap his reaping; and to make instruments of his war, and instruments of his charioteer.

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 takes your daughters for perfumers, and for cooks, and for bakers;

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

14 and your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards—he takes the best, and has given 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 And he tithes your seed and your vineyards, and has given to his eunuchs, and to his servants.

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

16 And your menservants and your maidservants, and the best of your young men and your donkeys, he takes, and has prepared for his own work;

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 tithes your flock, and you are for servants to him.

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

18 And you have cried out in that day because of the king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and YHWH does not answer you in 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 And the people refuse to listen to the voice of Samuel, and say, “No, but a king is 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 and we have been, even we, like all the nations; and our king has judged us, and gone out before us, and fought 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 And Samuel hears all the words of the people, and speaks them in the ears of YHWH;

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

22 and YHWH says to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and you have caused a king to reign over them.” And Samuel says to the men of Israel, “Go, each man, 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.