1 Samuel 8

New King James Version

Israel Demands a King

8 Now it came to pass when Samuel was^(A)old that he^(B)made his^(C)sons judges over Israel.² The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah;they werejudges in Beersheba.³ But his sons^(D)did not walk in his ways; they turned aside^(E)after dishonest gain,^(F)took bribes, and perverted justice.

⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,⁵ and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now^(G)make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

⁶ But the thing^(H)displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel^(I)prayed to theLord.⁷ And theLordsaid to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for^(J)they have not rejected you, but^(K)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 to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also.⁹ Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and^(L)show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

¹⁰ So Samuel told all the words of theLordto the people who asked him for a king.¹¹ And he said,^(M)“This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your^(N)sons and appointthemfor his own^(O)chariots andto behis horsemen, andsomewill run before his chariots.¹² He will^(P)appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties,will set someto plow his ground and reap his harvest, andsometo make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.¹³ He will take your daughtersto beperfumers, cooks, and bakers.¹⁴ And^(Q)he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and givethemto his servants.¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants.¹⁶ And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest^[a]young men, and your donkeys, and putthemto his work.¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.¹⁸ And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and theLord^(R)will not hear you in that day.”

¹⁹ Nevertheless the people^(S)refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us,²⁰ that we also may be^(T)like all the nations, and 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 hearing of theLord.²² So theLordsaid to Samuel,^(U)“Heed their voice, and make them a king.”

And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”