8:1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.
8:2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.
8:3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
8:4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
8:5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
8:6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.
8:7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
8:8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.
8:9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”
8:10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king.
8:11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.
8:12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
8:13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
8:14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.
8:15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.
8:16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.
8:17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
8:18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
8:19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us.
8:20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
8:21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD.
8:22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go back to his town.”
8:1 Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
8:2 And the name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah; they were judges in Beer-sheba.
8:3 But his sons did not follow in his ways, but turned aside after unjust gain and took bribes and perverted justice.
8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
8:5 And they said to him, You are now old, and your sons do not follow in your ways. Appoint now for us a king to judge us like all the nations.
8:6 But the matter displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. Then Samuel prayed to Jehovah.
8:7 And Jehovah said to Samuel, Listen to the voice of the people according to all that they have said to you; for it is not you whom they have rejected, but they have rejected Me from being King over them.
8:8 Like all the deeds that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt to this very day by forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they do also to you.
8:9 Now therefore listen to their voice, but you shall solemnly warn them and declare to them the practice of the king who will reign over them.
8:10 So Samuel spoke all the words of Jehovah to the people, who had asked him for a king.
8:11 And he said, This will be the practice of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for himself to his chariots and as his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots;
8:12 And he will appoint them for himself as captains of thousands and as captains of fifties, and to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and the equipment for his chariots.
8:13 And he will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
8:14 And he will take your best fields and vineyards and olive groves, and give them to his servants.
8:15 And he will exact a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs and servants.
8:16 And he will take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
8:17 He will exact a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his servants.
8:18 And you will cry out in that day on account of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but Jehovah will not answer you in that day.
8:19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, No; but there will be a king over us,
8:20 That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.
8:21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them in the hearing of Jehovah.
8:22 Then Jehovah said to Samuel, Listen to their voice, and appoint a king to them. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go, each one to his city.