I Samuel 8

1. And it came to pass when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

2. And the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second was Abiah, judges in Beersheba.

3. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted judgment.

4. And all the elders of Israel gathered themselves and came to Samuel to Ramah.

5. And 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. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Hearken 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 which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even until this day—works with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they do also to you.

9. And now hearken to their voice. Only, you shall surely protest solemnly to them, and show them the kind of king who shall reign over them.”

10. And Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked a king of him.

11. And he said, “This will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you. He shall take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and his horsemen. And they shall run before his chariots.

12. And 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. And he will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.

14. And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

15. And he will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his officers and to his servants.

16. And 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 a tenth of your sheep, and you shall be his servants.

18. And you shall 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. And they said, “No, but we will have a king over us.

20. And we shall be, also we, like all the nations, so that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

21. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the ears of the LORD.

22. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Hearken to their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”