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
Israel’s Demand for a King
1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.#Dt 16:18–19 2His firstborn son’s name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba.#Gn 22:19; 1Kg 19:3; Am 5:5 3However, his sons did not walk in his ways — they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.#Ex 23:1–9
4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah.#1Sm 7:17 5They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”#Dt 17:14–15
6When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the Lord. 7But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.#Ex 16:8; 1Sm 10:19 8They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me,#8:8 LXX; MT omits to me since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. 9Listen to them, but solemnly warn them#Ezk 3:18 and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.”
10Samuel told all the Lord’s words to the people who were asking him for a king. 11He said, “These are the rights of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots. 12He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties,#Nm 31:14; 1Sm 22:7 to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. 13He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants.#1Kg 21:7; Ezk 46:18 15He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. 16He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best cattle,#8:16 LXX; MT reads young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. 17He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. 18When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves,#Is 8:21 but the Lord won’t answer you on that day.”#Pr 1:25–28; Mc 3:4
19The people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. 20Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us,#Nm 27:17; 1Sm 18:13; 2Ch 1:10 and fight our battles.”
21Samuel listened to all the people’s words and then repeated them to the Lord. 22“Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.”#1Sm 8:7
Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you, go back to your city.”
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