1When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.2The name of his eldest son was Joel. The name of his second son was Abijah. They served as judges at Beersheba.3But his sons didn’t live as he did. They were only interested in making money. They accepted money from people who wanted special favours. They made things that were wrong appear to be right.4So all the elders of Israel gathered together. They came to Samuel at Ramah.5They said to him, ‘You are old. Your sons don’t live as you do. So appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all the other nations have.’6Samuel wasn’t pleased when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us.’ So he prayed to the LORD.7The LORD told him, ‘Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king.8They are doing just as they have always done. They have deserted me and served other gods. They have done that from the time I brought them up out of Egypt until this day. Now they are deserting you too.9Let them have what they want. But give them a strong warning. Let them know what the king who rules over them will expect to be done for him.’10Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything the LORD had said.11Samuel told them, ‘Here’s what the king who rules over you will expect to be done for him. He will take your sons. He’ll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots.12He’ll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plough his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots.13He’ll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake.14He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He’ll give them to his attendants.15He will take a tenth of your corn and a tenth of your grapes. He’ll give it to his officials and attendants.16He will also take your male and female servants. He’ll take your best cattle and donkeys. He’ll use all of them any way he wants to.17He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves.18When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the LORD won’t answer you at that time.’19In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. ‘No!’ they said. ‘We want a king to rule over us.20Then we’ll be like all the other nations. We’ll have a king to lead us. He’ll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles.’21Samuel heard everything the people said. He told the LORD about it.22The LORD answered, ‘Listen to them. Give them a king.’ Then Samuel said to the Israelites, ‘Each of you go back to your own town.’
1 Samuel 8
English Standard Version
Israel Demands a King
1When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. (De 16:18)2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.3Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. (Ex 18:21; Ex 23:8; De 16:19; Ps 15:5)4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah (1Sa 7:17)5and 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.” (De 17:14; 1Sa 8:19; Ho 13:10; Ac 13:21)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, “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. (Ex 16:8; 1Sa 10:19)8According 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.9Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” (1Sa 8:11)
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.11He 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. (De 17:16; 1Sa 10:25; 1Sa 14:52)12And 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. (Ge 45:6)13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. (1Ki 21:7; Eze 46:18)15He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.16He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men[1] and your donkeys, and put them to his work.17He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.18And 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.” (Pr 1:28; Isa 1:15; Mic 3:4)
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,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.” (1Sa 8:5)21And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord.22And 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.” (1Sa 8:7; Ho 13:11)