1 Samuel Chapter 8

1 Samuel Chapter 8
1 When Samuel was now become old,
he made his sons judges over Israel. 2
(And the name of his eldest son was
Joel, and the name of the second Abiah)
even judges in Beer-sheba.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways,
but turned aside after lucre, and took
rewards, and perverted the judgment.
4 Wherefore all the elders of Israel
gathered them together, and came to
Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art
old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways:
make us now a king to judge us like all
nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when
they said, Give us a king to judge us: and
Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hear
the voice of the people in all that they
shall say unto thee: for they have not cast
thee away, but they have cast me away,
that I should not reign over them.
8 As they have ever done since I brought
them out of Egypt even unto this day,
(and have forsaken me, and served other
gods) even so do they unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their
voice: howbeit yet testify unto them, and
show them the manner of the king that
shall reign over them.
10 So Samuel told all the words of the
Lord unto the people that asked a king of
him.
11 And he said, This shall be the manner
of the king that shall reign over you: he
will take your sons, and appoint them to
his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and
some shall run before his chariot.
12 Also he will make them his captains
over thousands, and captains over fifties,
and to ear his ground, and to reap his
harvest, and to make instruments of war,
and the things that serve for his chariots.
13 He will also take your daughters and
make them apothecaries, and cooks, and
bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and
your vineyards, and your best olive
trees, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your
seed, and of your vineyards, and give it
to his eunuchs, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants,
and your maidservants, and the chief of
your young men, and your asses, and put
them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep,
and ye shall be his servants. 18 And ye
shall cry out at that day, because of your
king, whom ye have chosen you, and the
Lord will not hear you at that day.
19 But the people would not hear the
voice of Samuel, but did say, Nay, but
there shall be a king over us.
20 And we also will be like all other
nations, and our king shall judge us, and
go out before us, and fight our battles.
21 Therefore when Samuel heard all the
words of the people, he rehearsed them
in the ears of the Lord.
22 And the Lord said to Samuel,
Hearken unto their voice, and make them
a king. And Samuel said unto the men of
Israel, Go every man unto his city