1 Samuel 8

World English Bible

¹When 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.

⁴Then 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 Yahweh.

⁷Yahweh 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.”

¹⁰Samuel told all Yahweh’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 plow 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 their 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 Yahweh will not answer you in that day.”

¹⁹But 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.”

²¹Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Yahweh.

²²Yahweh 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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