1Sam 8
1
And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2
Now the name of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they
were judges in Beer-sheba.
3
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes,
and perverted justice.
4
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to
Ramah;
5
and they said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons walk not in your ways: now
make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel
prayed to YHWH.
7
And YHWH said to Samuel, Hearken 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
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.
9
Now therefore hearken to their voice: nevertheless you shall protest solemnly to them,
and shall show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10
And Samuel told all the words of YHWH to the people that asked of him a king.
11
And he said, This will be the manner of the king that 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;
12
and he will appoint them to him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties;
and [he will set some] to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his
instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.
13
And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14
And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best
of them, and give them to his servants.
15
And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers,
and to his servants.
16
And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young
men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17
He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants.
18
And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen
you; and YHWH will not answer you in that day.
19
But the people refused to hearken to the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay: but
we will have a king over us,
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.
21
And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of
YHWH.
22
And YHWH said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel
said to the men of Israel, Go you every man to his city.