1 Samuel 8:1-10

1When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

2The name of his firstborn son was Joel; the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

3The sons didn’t follow their father’s example but turned to dishonest ways of making money. They took bribes and denied people justice.

4Then all the leaders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

5They told him, “You’re old, and your sons aren’t following your example. Now appoint a king to judge us so that we will be like all the other nations.”

6But Samuel considered it wrong for them to request a king to judge them. So Samuel prayed to the Lord.

7The Lord told Samuel, “Listen to everything the people are saying to you. They haven’t rejected you; they’ve rejected me.

8They’re doing just what they’ve done since I took them out of Egypt—leaving me and serving other gods.

9Listen to them now, but be sure to warn them and tell them about the rights of a king.”

10Then Samuel told the people who had asked him for a king everything the Lord had said.