1 Samuel 8
1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons judges to Israel;
Forsothe it was don, whanne Samuel hadde wexide eld, he settide hise sones iugis on Israel.
2 and the name of his firstborn son was, Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah, —they were judges in Beer-sheba.
And the name of his firste gendrid sone was Johel, and the name of the secounde was Abia, iugis in Bersabee.
3 Howbeit his sons walked not in his ways, but stooped to extortion, —and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
And hise sones yeden not in `the weies of hym, but thei bowiden after aueryce, and thei token yiftis, and peruertiden doom.
4 So then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, —and came unto Samuel, to Ramah;
Therfor alle the grettere men in birthe of Israel weren gaderid, and camen to Samuel in to Ramatha.
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 thei seiden to hym, Lo! thou hast wexid eld, and thi sones goen not in thi weies; ordeyne thou a kyng to vs, `that he deme vs, as also alle naciouns han.
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.
And the word displeside in the iyen of Samuel, for thei hadden seid, Yyue thou to vs a kyng, that he deme vs. And Samuel preiede 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.
Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou the vois of the puple in alle thingis whiche thei speken to thee; for thei han not caste awey thee, but me, that Y regne not on hem.
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.
Bi alle her werkis whiche thei diden, fro the day in whiche Y ledde hem out of Egipt `til to this dai, as thei forsoken me, and seruyden alien goddis, so thei doon also to thee.
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.
Now therfor here thou her vois; netheles witnesse thou to hem; biforseie thou to hem the riyt of the kyng, that schal regne on hem.
10 So then Samuel spake all the words of Yahweh unto the people, who were asking of him, a king.
Therfor Samuel seide alle the wordis of the Lord to the puple, that hadde axid of him a king; and he seide,
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;
This schal be the `riyt of the kyng, that schal comaunde to you; he schal take youre sones, and schal sette in hise charis;
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 schal make hem `to hym silf rideris, and biforegoeris of hise cartis; and he schal ordeyne to hym tribunes, `that is, souereyns of a thousynd, and centuriouns, `that is, souereyns of an hundrid, and eereris of hise feeldis, and reperis of cornes, and smythis of hise armeris, and charis.
13 And, your daughters, will he take, —as perfumers and as cooks, and as bakers;
Also he schal make youre douytris makeris of `oynementis to hym silf, and fueris, and bakeris.
14 And, your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, the best of them, will he take, and give to his servants;
And he schal take youre feeldis and vyneris and the beste places of olyues, and schal yyue to hise seruauntis.
15 And, your seed, and your vineyards, will he tithe, and give to his courtiers and to his servants;
But also he schal take the tenthe part of youre cornes, and rentis of vyneris, that he yyue to his chaumberleyns and seruauntis.
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;
Sotheli he schal take awey youre seruauntis and handmaydes, and beste yong men, and assis, and schal sette in his werk.
17 Your flocks, will he tithe, —and, ye yourselves, shall become his servants.
Also he schal take the tenthe part of youre flockis, and ye schulen be `seruauntis to hym.
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.
And ye schulen crye in that dai fro the face of youre kyng, whom ye han chose to you; and the Lord schal not here you in that dai; for ye axiden a kyng to you.
19 But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel, —and they said—Nay! but, a king, shall be over us:
Sotheli the puple nolde here the vois of Samuel, but thei seiden, Nay for a kyng schal be on vs;
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.
and we also schulen be as alle folkis, and oure kyng schal deme vs, and he schal go out bifor vs, and he schal fiyte oure batel for vs.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, —and spake them in the ears of Yahweh.
And Samuel herde alle the wordis of the puple, and `spak tho in the eeris of 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.
Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou `the vois of hem, and ordeyne thou a kyng on hem. And Samuel seide to the men of Israel, Ech man go in to his citee.
