| 8.1 |
When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. |
| 8.2 |
Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beersheba. |
| 8.3 |
His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice. |
| 8.4 |
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah; |
| 8.5 |
and they 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.” |
| 8.6 |
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to Yahweh. |
| 8.7 |
Yahweh 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, that I should not be king over them. |
| 8.8 |
According 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 do they also to you. |
| 8.9 |
Now therefore listen to their voice: however you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who shall reign over them.” |
| 8.10 |
Samuel told all Yahweh’s words to the people who asked of him a king. |
| 8.11 |
He said, “This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots; |
| 8.12 |
and he 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. |
| 8.13 |
He will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. |
| 8.14 |
He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves, even their best, and give them to his servants. |
| 8.15 |
He will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. |
| 8.16 |
He will take your male servants, and your female servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. |
| 8.17 |
He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants. |
| 8.18 |
You shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen you; and Yahweh will not answer you in that day.” |
| 8.19 |
But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No; but we will have a king over us, |
| 8.20 |
that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.” |
| 8.21 |
Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Yahweh. |
| 8.22 |
Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and make them a king.” Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.” |
