1 Samuel Chapter 8 Back Next{8:1} It happened, when Samuel was old, that 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 the words of Yahweh 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."
1 Samuel Chapter 8 Back Next