I Samuel 8
8
Israel Demands a King
1Now it came to pass when Samuel was #Judg. 21:4old that he #1 Sam. 12:2made his #Deut. 16:18, 19; 2 Chr. 19:5sons judges over Israel. 2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3But his sons #Judg. 10:4did not walk in his ways; they turned aside #Jer. 22:15–17after dishonest gain, #Ex. 18:21took bribes, and perverted justice.
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now #Ex. 23:6–8; Deut. 16:19; 1 Sam. 12:3make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
6But the thing #Deut. 17:14, 15; Hos. 13:10, 11; Acts 13:21displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel #1 Sam. 12:17prayed to the Lord. 7And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for #1 Sam. 7:9they have not rejected you, but #Ex. 16:8they have rejected Me, that I should not reign 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—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. 9Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and #1 Sam. 10:19show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
10So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. 11And he said, #1 Sam. 8:11–18“This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your #Deut. 17:14–20sons and appoint them for his own #1 Sam. 14:52chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. 12He will #2 Sam. 15:1appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14And #1 Sam. 22:7he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. 15He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. 16And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. 18And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord #1 Kin. 21:7; (Ezek. 46:18)will not hear you in that day.”
19Nevertheless the people #Prov. 1:25–28; Is. 1:15; Mic. 3:4refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, 20that we also may be #Is. 66:4; Jer. 44:16like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. 22So the Lord said to Samuel, #1 Sam. 8:5“Heed their voice, and make them a king.”
And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”
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I Samuel 8: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
1 Kings 8
8
1And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.
2Now the name of his firstborn son was Joel: and the name of the second was Abia, judges in Bersabee.
3And his sons walked not in his ways: but they turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
4Then all the ancients of Israel being assembled came to Samuel to Ramatha.
5And they said to him: Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways. Make us a king, to judge us, as all nations have.
6And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, that they should say: Give us a king, to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them.
8According to all their works, they have done from the day that I brought them out of Egypt until this day: as they have forsaken me, and served strange gods, so do they also unto thee.
9Now therefore hearken to their voice: but yet testify to them, and foretell them the right of the king, that shall reign over them.
10Then Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that had desired a king of him,
11And said: This will be the right of the king, that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and will make them his horsemen, and his running footmen to run before his chariots.
12And he will appoint of them to be his tribunes, and centurions, and to plough his fields, and to reap his corn, and to make him arms and chariots.
13Your daughters also he will take to make him ointments, and to be his cooks, and bakers.
14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best oliveyards, and give them to his servants.
15Moreover he will take the tenth of your corn, and of the revenues of your vineyards, to give his eunuchs and servants.
16Your servants also and handmaids, and your goodliest young men, and your asses he will take away, and put them to his work.
17Your flocks also he will tithe, and you shall be his servants.
18And you shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom you have chosen to yourselves: and the Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king.
19But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, and they said: Nay: but there shall be a king over us.
20And we also will be like all nations: and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles for us.
21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
22And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel: Let every man go to his city.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.