| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 1Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. | 1And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. |
| 2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. | 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. |
| 3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. | 3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. |
| 4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, | 4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, |
| 5and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” | 5And 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. |
| 6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. | 6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. |
| 7And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed 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. | 7And 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. |
| 8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. | 8According 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. |
| 9Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.” | 9Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. |
| 10So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king. | 10And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. |
| 11And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. | 11And 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. |
| 12He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for 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. |
| 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. | 13And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. |
| 14And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. | 14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. |
| 15He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. | 15And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. |
| 16And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. | 16And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. |
| 17He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. | 17He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. |
| 18And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day.” | 18And 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. |
| 19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, | 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.” | 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. |
| 21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. | 21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. |
| 22So the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.” | 22And 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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