Israel Demands a King

1And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.

3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.   unjust gain

4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah,

5And 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.

6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

7And the Lord 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 reign over them.   listen

8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, so do they also to you.

9Now therefore hearken to their voice: however yet protest solemnly to them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10And Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that asked of him a king.

11And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you^p: He will take your^p sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

12And 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.   plow

13And he will take your^p daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.   perfumers

14And he will take your^p fields, and your^p vineyards, and your^p oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.   slaves

15And he will take the tenth of your^p seed, and of your^p vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

16And he will take your^p menservants, and you^p maidservants, and your^p goodliest young men, and your^p asses, and put them to his work.   best

17He will take the tenth of your^p sheep: and you^p shall be his servants.   flocks

18And you^p shall cry out in that day because of your^p king which you^p shall have chosen you^p; and the Lord will not hear you^p in that day.

19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

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.   lead

21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.   repeated

22And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go you^p every man to his city.