8When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel.H8050H2204H7760H1121H8199H34782The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.H8034H1121H1060H3100H8034H4932H29H8199H8843Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.H1121H1980H1870H5186H310H1215H3947H7810H5186H49414Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at RamahH2205H3478H6908H935H8050H74145and said to him, "Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations."H559H2204H1121H1980H1870H7760H4428H8199H14716But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD.H1697H3415H5869H8050H559H5414H4428H8199H8050H6419H30687And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.H3068H559H8050H8085H6963H5971H559H3988H3988H44278According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.H4639H6213H3117H5927H4714H3117H5800H5647H312H430H62139Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them."H8085H6963H389H5749H5749H5046H4941H4428H4427
Samuel’s Warning Against Kings
10So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him.H8050H559H1697H3068H5971H7592H442811He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.H559H4941H4428H4427H3947H1121H7760H4818H6571H7323H6440H481812And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.H7760H8269H505H8269H2572H2790H2758H7114H7105H6213H3627H4421H3627H739313He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.H3947H1323H7548H2879H64414He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.H3947H7704H3754H2132H2896H5414H565015He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.H6237H2233H3754H5414H5631H565016He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.H3947H5650H8198H2896H970H2543H6213H439917He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.H6237H6629H565018And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."H2199H3117H6440H4428H977H3068H6030H3117
The Lord Grants Israel’s Request
19But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, "No! But there shall be a king over us,H5971H3985H8085H6963H8050H559H442820that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."H1471H4428H8199H3318H6440H3898H442121And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the LORD.H8050H8085H1697H5971H1696H241H306822And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey their voice and make them a king." Samuel then said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."H3068H559H8050H8085H6963H4427H4428H8050H559H582H3478H3212H376H5892