FIRST SAMUEL

 

1 Samuel Chapter 8

1 ¶ When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.

3 However his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

4 ¶ Then all the elders of Israel got together, and came to Samuel at Ramah,

5 And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways: therefore appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.

6 But it displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the LORD.

7 And the LORD said to Samuel, Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you: for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.

8 They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, in all that they have done from the day that I brought them up out of Egypt to now, having forsaken me, and served other gods.

9 So listen to them: however solemnly warn them as to what the king who reigns over them will be like.

10 So Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king all that the LORD had said.

11 And he said, This will be the way of the king who shall 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.

12 And he will appoint them for his use as captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will make them plant his ground, and reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war, and equipment for his chariots.

13 And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.

14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

15 And he will take the tenth of your grain, and of your vineyards, and give it to his officers, and to his servants.

16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and make them do his work.

17 He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you will be his servants.

18 And you shall cry out on that day because of your king which you have chosen for yourselves; and the LORD will not hear you on that day.

19 Nevertheless the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, No; we will have a king over us;

20 That we may be like all the other nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

21 And Samuel heard everything that the people said, and he repeated them as the LORD listened.

22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Listen to what they say, and appoint a king for them. Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, Each of you go back to your city.