1 Samuel - Chapter 8

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

1 Now 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, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.

2 The name of his first son was Joel and the name of his second Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.

3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

3 And his sons did not go in his ways, but moved by the love of money took rewards, and were not upright in judging.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

4 Then all the responsible men of Israel got together and went to Samuel at Ramah,

5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

5 And said to him, See now, you are old, and your sons do not go in your ways: give us a king now to be our judge, so that we may be like the other nations.

6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

6 But Samuel was not pleased when they said to him, Give us a king to be our judge. And Samuel made prayer to the Lord.

7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

7 And the Lord said to Samuel, Give ear to the voice of the people and what they say to you: they have not been turned away from you, but they have been turned away from me, not desiring me to be 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 unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

8 As they have done from the first, from the day when I took them out of Egypt till this day, turning away from me and worshipping other gods, so now they are acting in the same way to you.

9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

9 Give ear now to their voice: but make a serious protest to them, and give them a picture of the sort of king who will be their ruler.

10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.

10 And Samuel said all these words of the Lord to the people who were desiring a king.

11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

11 And he said, This is the sort of king who will be your ruler: he will take your sons and make them his servants, his horsemen, and drivers of his war-carriages, and they will go running before his war-carriages;

12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

12 And he will make them captains of thousands and of fifties; some he will put to work ploughing and cutting his grain and making his instruments of war and building his war-carriages.

13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

13 Your daughters he will take to be makers of perfumes and cooks and bread-makers.

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

14 He will take your fields and your vine-gardens and your olive-gardens, all the best of them, and give them to his servants.

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

15 He will take a tenth of your seed and of the fruit of your vines and give it to his servants.

16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

16 He will take your men-servants and your servant-girls, and the best of your oxen and your asses and put them to his work.

17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

17 He will take a tenth of your sheep: and you will be his servants.

18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

18 Then you will be crying out because of your king whom you have taken for yourselves; but the Lord will not give you an answer in that day.

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

19 But the people gave no attention 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.

20 So that we may be like the other nations, and so that our king may be our judge and go out before us to war.

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

21 Then Samuel, after hearing all the people had to say, went and gave an account of it to 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 ye every man unto his city.

22 And the Lord said to Samuel, Give ear to their voice and make a king for them. Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, Let every man go back to his town.