1 Samuel 8
8
The People Ask for a King
1When Samuel grew old, he made his sons judges in Israel. 2The elder son was named Joel and the younger one Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3But they did not follow their father's example; they were interested only in making money, so they accepted bribes and did not decide cases honestly.
4Then all the leaders of Israel met together, went to Samuel in Ramah, 5#Deut 17.14and said to him, “Look, you are getting old and your sons don't follow your example. So then, appoint a king to rule over us, so that we will have a king, as other countries have.” 6Samuel was displeased with their request for a king; so he prayed to the LORD, 7and the LORD said, “Listen to everything the people say to you. You are not the one they have rejected; I am the one they have rejected as their king. 8Ever since I brought them out of Egypt, they have turned away from me and worshipped other gods; and now they are doing to you what they have always done to me. 9So then, listen to them, but give them strict warnings and explain how their kings will treat them.”
10Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything that the LORD had said to him. 11“This is how your king will treat you,” Samuel explained. “He will make soldiers of your sons; some of them will serve in his war chariots, others in his cavalry, and others will run before his chariots. 12He will make some of them officers in charge of a thousand men, and others in charge of fifty men. Your sons will have to plough his fields, harvest his crops, and make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots. 13Your daughters will have to make perfumes for him and work as his cooks and his bakers. 14He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. 15He will take a tenth of your corn and of your grapes for his court officers and other officials. 16He will take your servants and your best cattle#8.16 One ancient translation cattle; Hebrew young men. and donkeys, and make them work for him. 17He will take a tenth of your flocks. And you yourselves will become his slaves. 18When that time comes, you will complain bitterly because of your king, whom you yourselves chose, but the LORD will not listen to your complaints.”
19The people paid no attention to Samuel, but said “No! We want a king, 20so that we will be like other nations, with our own king to rule us and to lead us out to war and to fight our battles.” 21Samuel listened to everything they said and then went and told the LORD. 22The LORD answered, “Do what they want and give them a king.” Then Samuel told all the men of Israel to go back home.
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1 Samuel 8: GNBDC
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
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.