1 Samuel 8:1-22
8 And it came about that as soon as Samuel had grown old he made appointments+ of his sons as judges for Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn son happened to be Joel,+ and the name of his second A·biʹjah;+ they were judging in Beʹer-sheʹba.
3 And his sons did not walk in his ways,+ but they were inclined to follow unjust profit+ and would accept a bribe+ and pervert judgment.+
4 In time all the older men of Israel+ collected themselves together and came to Samuel at Raʹmah
5 and said to him: “Look! You yourself have grown old, but your own sons have not walked in your ways. Now do appoint for us a king+ to judge us like all the nations.”
6 But the thing was bad in the eyes of Samuel inasmuch as they had said: “Do give us a king to judge us,” and Samuel began to pray to Jehovah.+
7 Then Jehovah said to Samuel:+ “Listen to the voice of the people as respects all that they say to you;+ for it is not you whom they have rejected, but it is I whom they have rejected from being king+ over them.
8 In accord with all their doings that they have done from the day of my bringing them up out of Egypt+ until this day in that they kept leaving me+ and serving other gods,+ that is the way they are doing also to you.
9 And now listen to their voice. Only this, that you should solemnly warn them, and you must tell them the rightful due of the king who will reign over them.”+
10 So Samuel said all the words of Jehovah to the people who were asking a king of him.
11 And he proceeded to say: “This will become the rightful due+ of the king that will reign over YOU: YOUR sons he will take+ and put them as his in his chariots+ and among his horsemen,+ and some will have to run before his chariots;+
12 and to appoint for himself chiefs* over thousands+ and chiefs over fifties,+ and [some] to do his plowing+ and to reap his harvest+ and to make his war instruments+ and his chariot instruments.+
13 And YOUR daughters he will take for ointment mixers and cooks and bakers.+
14 And YOUR fields and YOUR vineyards+ and YOUR olive groves,+ the best ones, he will take and actually give to his servants.
15 And of YOUR fields of seed and of YOUR vineyards he will take the tenth,+ and he will certainly give [them] to his court officials+ and his servants.
16 And YOUR menservants and YOUR maidservants and YOUR best herds,* and YOUR asses he will take, and he will have to use them for his work.+
17 Of YOUR flocks+ he will take the tenth, and YOU yourselves will become his as servants.
18 And YOU will certainly cry out in that day by reason of YOUR king,+ whom YOU have chosen for yourselves, but Jehovah will not answer YOU in that day.”+
19 However, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel+ and said: “No, but a king is what will come to be over us.
20 And we must become, we also, like all the nations,+ and our king must judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 And Samuel gave a hearing to all the words of the people; then he spoke them in the ears of Jehovah.+
22 And Jehovah proceeded to say to Samuel: “Listen to their voice, and you must cause a king to reign for them.”+ Accordingly Samuel said to the men of Israel: “Go each one to his city.”
