1 Samuel 8
8
Israel Demands a King
1And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. 3His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5and said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us [and rule over us] like all the other nations.” 6But their demand #8:6 Lit was evil in the eyes of.displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge and rule over us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them. 8Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have abandoned (rejected) Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. 9So now listen to their voice; only solemnly warn them and tell them the ways of the king who will reign over them.”
Warning concerning a King
10So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself to his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. 12He will appoint them for himself to be commanders over thousands and over fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and equipment for his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14He 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 of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16He will take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. 17He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves shall be his servants. 18Then you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you on that day [because you have rejected Him as King].”
19Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, 20so that we too may be like all the nations [around us], that our king may judge [and govern] us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21Samuel had heard all the words of the people and repeated them #8:21 Lit in the Lord’s hearing.to the Lord. 22And the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their #8:22 Lit voice.request and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, each man to his own city.”
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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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