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Israel Requests a King
As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.
As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.
Israel Demands a King
Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba.
The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.
But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,
“Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance.
But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
“Do everything they say to you,” the LORD replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.
And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed 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.
Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.
According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day — with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods — so they are doing to you also.
Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
So Samuel passed on the LORD’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king.
So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king.
“This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots.
And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.
He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him.
He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials.
And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants.
He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants.
He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants.
He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.
He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.
When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the LORD will not help you.”
And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”
But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said.
Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us,
“We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”
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.”
So Samuel repeated to the LORD what the people had said,
And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord.