1 Samuel 8

1 It happened, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

When Samuel grew old, he made his sons leaders over Israel.

2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beersheba.

His first son was named Joel, and his second son was named Abijah. They were rulers in Beersheba.

3 His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside toward dishonest gain, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

However, his sons did not follow his ways. They were corrupt, making money by accepting bribes and perverting justice.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah;

So the elders of Israel all joined together and came to meet Samuel at Ramah.

5 and they 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."

“Look here,” they told him, “you are old, and your sons do not follow your ways. Choose a king to rule over us like all the other nations.”

6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." Samuel prayed to the LORD.

Samuel thought this was a bad idea when they said, “Give us a king to rule over us,” so he prayed to the Lord about it.

7 The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.

“Do what the people tell you,” the Lord said to Samuel, “because it's not you they're rejecting, but me as their king.

8 According to all the works which they have done to me since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to you.

They're doing just as they have always done since I led them out of Egypt right up to now. They have abandoned me and worshiped other gods, and they're doing just the same to you.

9 Now therefore listen to their voice: however you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who shall reign over them."

So do what they want, but give them a solemn warning—explain to them what a king will do when he rules over them.”

10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked of him a king.

Samuel repeated all that the Lord had said to the people asking him to give them a king.

11 He said, "This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots.

“This is what a king will do when he rules over you,” he told them. “He will take your sons and make them serve as charioteers and horsemen, and to run as a guard in front of his chariot.

12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands, and commanders of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and to make his implements of war, and the equipment of his chariots.

Some of them he will make commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some will have to plow his fields and reap his harvest. Some will be assigned to making weapons of war and chariot equipment.

13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

He will take your daughters and have them work as perfume-makers, cooks, and bakers.

14 He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves, even their best, and give them to his servants.

He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves and give them to his officials.

15 He will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

He will take a tenth of your grain harvest and the produce of your vineyards and allocate it to his chief officers and officials.

16 He will take your male servants, and your female servants, and your best cattle, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.

He will take your male servants and your female servants, and your best young men and your donkeys, and make them work for him.

17 He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants.

He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his slaves.

18 You shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."

On that day you will plead to be rescued from the king you have chosen, but the Lord won't answer you then.”

19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No; but we will have a king over us,

But the people refused to listen to what Samuel said. “No!” they insisted. “We want our own king!

20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles."

That way we can be like all the other nations. Our king will rule us, and will lead us when we go out to fight our battles.”

21 Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.

Samuel listened to everything the people said and repeated it to the Lord.

22 The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and make them a king." Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city."

The Lord told Samuel, “Do what they say and give them a king.” Then Samuel told the Israelites, “Go back to your homes.”