1S 8:1Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
1S 8:2And the name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah; they were judges in Beer-sheba.
1S 8:3But his sons did not follow in his ways, but turned aside after unjust gain and took bribes and perverted justice.
1S 8:4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
1S 8:5And they said to him, You are now old, and your sons do not follow in your ways. Appoint now for us a king to judge us like all the nations.
1S 8:6But the matter displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. Then Samuel prayed to Jehovah.
1S 8:7And Jehovah said to Samuel, Listen to the voice of the people according to all that they have said to you; for it is not you whom they have rejected, but they have rejected Me from being King over them.
1S 8:8Like all the deeds that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt to this very day by forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they do also to you.
1S 8:9Now therefore listen to their voice, but you shall solemnly warn them and declare to them the practice of the king who will reign over them.
1S 8:10So Samuel spoke all the words of Jehovah to the people, who had asked him for a king.
1S 8:11And he said, This will be the practice of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for himself to his chariots and as his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots;
1S 8:12And he will appoint them for himself as captains of thousands and as captains of fifties, and to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and the equipment for his chariots.
1S 8:13And he will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
1S 8:14And he will take your best fields and vineyards and olive groves, and give them to his servants.
1S 8:15And he will exact a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs and servants.
1S 8:16And he will take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
1S 8:17He will exact a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his servants.
1S 8:18And you will cry out in that day on account of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but Jehovah will not answer you in that day.
1S 8:19But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, No; but there will be a king over us,
1S 8:20That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.
1S 8:21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them in the hearing of Jehovah.
1S 8:22Then Jehovah said to Samuel, Listen to their voice, and appoint a king to them. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go, each one to his city.
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