1 Samuel 8:16-22 ▼

16 He will take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work.

17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves shall be his servants.

18 Then you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you on that day [because you have rejected Him as King].”

19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us,

20 so that we too may be like all the nations [around us], that our king may judge [and govern] us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

21 Samuel had heard all the words of the people and repeated them to the LORD.

22 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their request and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, each man to his own city.”