Israel Asks for a King

¹ When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. ² Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. ³ His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah. ⁵ They said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” ⁶ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.”

Samuel prayed to Yahweh. ⁷ Yahweh 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 as the king over them. ⁸ According to all the works which they have done 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 they also do 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 will reign over them.”

¹⁰ Samuel told all Yahweh’s words to the people who asked him for 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 as his servants, for his chariots and to be his horsemen; and they will run before his chariots. ¹² He will appoint them to him for captains of thousands and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest; and to make his instruments of war and the instruments of his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers, to be cooks, and to be bakers. ¹⁴ He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, even your best, and give them to his servants. ¹⁵ He will take one tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his officers and to his servants. ¹⁶ He will take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys, and assign them to his own work. ¹⁷ He will take one tenth of your flocks; and you will be his servants. ¹⁸ You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you will have chosen for yourselves; and Yahweh will not answer you in that day.”

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

²¹ Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Yahweh. ²² Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and make them a king.”

Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go to your own city.”