1 Samuel 8
8
Israel Asks for a King
1When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. 2The name of his oldest son was Joel. The name of his second son was Abijah. They served as judges at Beersheba. 3But his sons didn’t live as he did. They were only interested in making money. They accepted money from people who wanted special favors. They made things that were wrong appear to be right.
4So all the elders of Israel gathered together. They came to Samuel at Ramah. 5They said to him, “You are old. Your sons don’t live as you do. So appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all the other nations have.”
6Samuel wasn’t pleased when they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So he prayed to the Lord. 7The Lord told him, “Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king. 8They are doing just as they have always done. They have deserted me and served other gods. They have done that from the time I brought them up out of Egypt until this day. Now they are deserting you too. 9Let them have what they want. But give them a strong warning. Let them know what the king who rules over them will expect to be done for him.”
10Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything the Lord had said. 11Samuel told them, “Here’s what the king who rules over you will expect to be done for him. He will take your sons. He’ll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots. 12He’ll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plow his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots. 13He’ll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake. 14He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He’ll give them to his attendants. 15He will take a tenth of your grain and a tenth of your grapes. He’ll give it to his officials and attendants. 16He will also take your male and female servants. He’ll take your best cattle and donkeys. He’ll use all of them any way he wants to. 17He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves. 18When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the Lord won’t answer you at that time.”
19In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. “No!” they said. “We want a king to rule over us. 20Then we’ll be like all the other nations. We’ll have a king to lead us. He’ll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles.”
21Samuel heard everything the people said. He told the Lord about it. 22The Lord answered, “Listen to them. Give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Each of you go back to your own town.”
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1 Samuel 8: NIrV
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1 Samuel 8
8
1 When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. 3His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah. 5They said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.”
Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them. 8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they also do to you. 9Now therefore, listen to their voice. However, you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who will reign over them.”
10 Samuel told all the LORD’s words to the people who asked him for a king. 11He said, “This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them as his servants, for his chariots and to be his horsemen; and they will run before his chariots. 12He will appoint them to him for captains of thousands and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plough his ground and to reap his harvest; and to make his instruments of war and the instruments of his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers, to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, even your best, and give them to his servants. 15He will take one tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16He will take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys, and assign them to his own work. 17He will take one tenth of your flocks; and you will be his servants. 18You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you will have chosen for yourselves; and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, 20that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”
21 Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. 22The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and make them a king.”
Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go to your own city.”
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