LEB - I Samuel - 8

8:1  When Samuel grew old he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

8:2  The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

8:3  But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after gain, they took bribes, and they perverted justice.

8:4  So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

8:5  They said to him, “Look, you are old and your sons do not follow in your ways. So then appoint a king for us to judge us, like all the nations.

8:6  But the matter ⌞was displeasing to Samuel⌟ when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” so Samuel prayed to Yahweh.

8:7  Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people concerning all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

8:8  Like all the deeds they have done from the day I brought them up from Egypt until this day, they have forsaken me and have served other gods—so they are doing to you also.

8:9  And so then, listen to their voice. However, you must earnestly warn them; you must explain to them the custom of the king who will rule over them.”

8:10  So Samuel spoke all the words of Yahweh to the people who were requesting a king from him.

8:11  He said, “This will be the custom of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots.

8:12  He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and those ⌞to do his plowing⌟ and to reap his harvest, and those to make weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots.

8:13  He will take your daughters as his perfume makers and as cooks and as bakers.

8:14  He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive trees and will give them to his servants.

8:15  He will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his high officials and to his servants.

8:16  He will take your male slaves and your female slaves and the best of your young men and your donkeys and ⌞will use them for his projects⌟.

8:17  He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants.

8:18  So you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but Yahweh will not answer you on that day!”

8:19  However, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel and they said, “No, but there must be a king over us,

8:20  so that we ⌞also⌟ may be like all the nations, and our king may rule us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

8:21  Now when Samuel heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of Yahweh.

8:22  Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel spoke to the men of Israel, “Each of you go to his own town.”