1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that 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 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after
lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together,
and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not
in thy 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 unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the
people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not
rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not
reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day
that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day,
wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do
they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest
solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that
shall reign over them.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto 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 for
himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some
shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains
over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap
his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and
instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, 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 menservants, and your maidservants, and
your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his
work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his
servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye
shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that
day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey 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 the LORD.
22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and
make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go
ye every man unto his city.
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