1 Samuel 8

1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons judges to Israel;

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

2 and the name of his firstborn son was, Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah, —they were 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 Howbeit his sons walked not in his ways, but stooped to extortion, —and took bribes, and perverted 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 So then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, —and came unto Samuel, to Ramah;

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

5 and said unto him—Lo! thou, art old, and, thy sons, walk not in thy ways: Now, appoint for us a king 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 But the thing was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, Give unto us a king to judge us. So Samuel prayed unto Yahweh.

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 Yahweh said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people, in all that they shall say unto thee, —for, not thee, have they rejected, but, me, have they rejected, from being king 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 doings which they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt, even until this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so, are they doing even unto 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 Now, therefore, hearken to their voice, —save that thou, enter protest, against them, and tell them the manner of the king who will reign 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 So then Samuel spake all the words of Yahweh unto the people, who were asking of him, a king.

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

11 And he said, This, will be the manner of the king who will reign over you, —Your sons, will he take and appoint for himself, as his charioteers and as his horsemen, and they shall 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 and he will appoint for himself, princes of thousands, and princes of fifties, —and to plough his fields, and to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war, and the instruments of his chariots;

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, your daughters, will he take, —as perfumers and as cooks, and as 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 oliveyards, the best of them, will he take, and give 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, your seed, and your vineyards, will he tithe, and give to his courtiers 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 men-servants, and your maidservants, and your oxen, even the goodliest, and your asses, will he take, —and put them to his 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 Your flocks, will he tithe, —and, ye yourselves, shall become his servants.

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

18 Then will ye make outcry, in that day, because of your king whom ye have chosen for yourselves, —and Yahweh will 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 But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel, —and they said—Nay! but, a king, shall be 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 so shall, even we, become like all the nations, —and our king shall judge us, and go forth before us, and fight 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 heard all the words of the people, —and spake them in the ears of Yahweh.

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

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