 1 When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second was Abiah, judges in Beersheba. 3 His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after ill gain and took bribes and perverted judgment. 4 All the elders of Israel gathered and came to Samuel to Ramah. 5 They said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing was evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 The Lord said to Samuel, Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 8 According to all the works that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even until this day, works by which they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they do also to you. 9 Now listen to their voice. Only, you shall surely protest solemnly to them, and show them the kind of king who shall reign over them. 10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked a king of him. 11 He said, This will be the privilege of the king who shall reign over you. He shall take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots and his horsemen. They will run before his chariots. 12 He will appoint commanders over thousands and commanders over fifties and some to plow his ground and reap his harvest and make his weapons of war and weapons for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take your fields and your vineyards and your olive yards, the best, and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs and to his servants. 16 He will take your male slaves and your slave girls, and your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep, and you shall be his servants. 18 You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves. And the Lord will not answer you in that day. 19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. They said, No. But we will have a king over us. 20 We will be like all the nations so that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles. 21 Samuel heard all the words of the people and he repeated them in the hearing+ of the Lord. 22 The Lord said to Samuel, Listen to their voice and make them a king. So Samuel said to the men of Israel, Every man go to his city.
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