1 Samuel 8

1And it came to pass, when SamuelH8050 wasH1961 old, that he madeH7760 his sonsH1121 judgesH8199 over IsraelH3478. 2Now the nameH8034 of his first-born was JoelH3100; and the nameH8034 of his secondH4932, AbijahH29: they wereH1961 judgesH8199 in Beer-sheba. 3And his sonsH1121 walkedH1980 not in his waysH1870, but turnedH5186 asideH5186 after lucre, and tookH3947 bribesH7810, and perverted justiceH4941.

4Then all the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478 gatheredH6908 themselves togetherH6908, and cameH935 to SamuelH8050 unto RamahH7414; 5and they saidH559 unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sonsH1121 walkH1980 not in thy waysH1870: nowH6258 makeH7760 us a kingH4428 to judgeH8199 us like all the nationsH1471. 6But the thingH1697 displeased SamuelH8050, whenH834 they saidH559, GiveH5414 us a kingH4428 to judgeH8199 us. And SamuelH8050 prayedH6419 unto Jehovah. 7And Jehovah saidH559 unto SamuelH8050, Hearken unto the voiceH6963 of the peopleH5971 in all that they sayH559 unto thee; for they have not rejectedH3988 thee, but they have rejectedH3988 me, that I should not be kingH4427 over them. 8According to all the worksH4639 which they have done since the dayH3117 that I broughtH5927 them up out of EgyptH4714 even unto this dayH3117, in that they have forsaken me, and servedH5647 otherH312 godsH430, soH3651 do they alsoH1571 unto thee. 9NowH6258 thereforeH6258 hearken unto their voiceH6963: howbeit thou shalt protest solemnly unto them, and shalt show them the manner of the kingH4428 that shall reignH4427 over them.

10And SamuelH8050 told all the wordsH1697 of Jehovah unto the peopleH5971 that askedH7592 of him a kingH4428. 11And he saidH559, This will beH1961 the manner of the kingH4428 that shall reignH4427 over you: he will takeH3947 your sonsH1121, and appointH7760 them unto him, for his chariotsH4818, and to beH1961 his horsemenH6571; and they shall runH7323 before his chariotsH4818; 12and he will appointH7760 them unto him for captains of thousandsH505, and captains of fiftiesH2572; and he will setH7760 some to plowH2790 his ground, and to reapH7114 his harvestH7105, and to makeH7760 his instrumentsH3627 of warH4421, and the instrumentsH3627 of his chariotsH7393. 13And he will takeH3947 your daughtersH1323 to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakersH644. 14And he will takeH3947 your fieldsH7704, and your vineyardsH3754, and your oliveyards, even the bestH2896 of them, and giveH5414 them to his servantsH5650. 15And he will takeH6237 the tenthH6237 of your seedH2233, and of your vineyardsH3754, and giveH5414 to his officers, and to his servantsH5650. 16And he will takeH3947 your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest youngH970 menH970, and your asses, and put them to his workH4399. 17He will take the tenthH6237 of your flocksH6629: and ye shall beH1961 his servantsH5650. 18And ye shall cryH2199 out in that dayH3117 because of your kingH4428 whom ye shall have chosenH977 you; and Jehovah will not answerH6030 you in that dayH3117.

19But the peopleH5971 refusedH3985 to hearken unto the voiceH6963 of SamuelH8050; and they saidH559, Nay: but we will have a kingH4428 over us, 20that we alsoH1571 may beH1961 like all the nationsH1471, and that our kingH4428 may judgeH8199 us, and goH3318 out before us, and fightH3898 our battlesH4421. 21And SamuelH8050 heardH8085 all the wordsH1697 of the peopleH5971, and he rehearsed them in the earsH241 of Jehovah. 22And Jehovah saidH559 to SamuelH8050, Hearken unto their voiceH6963, and makeH8085 them a kingH4428. And SamuelH8050 saidH559 unto the menH376 of IsraelH3478, Go ye every manH376 unto his cityH5892.