1 Samuel 8

Israel Demands a King

1 # Deut 16.18, 19 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah; they were judges in Beer-sheba. 3#Ex 23.6, 8; Deut 16.19; Ps 15.5Yet his sons did not follow in his ways but turned aside after gain; they took bribes and perverted justice.

4 # 1 Sam 7.17 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5#Deut 17.14, 15and said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” 6#1 Sam 15.11But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord, 7#Ex 16.8; 1 Sam 10.19and the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8Just as they have done to me#8.8 Gk: Heb lacks to me from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. 9#v 11Now then, listen to their voice; only, you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

10So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11#1 Sam 14.52; 2 Sam 15.1He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots, 12#1 Sam 22.7and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14#1 Kings 21.7; Ezek 46.18He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. 15He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. 16He will take your male and female slaves and the best of your cattle#8.16 Gk: Heb young men and donkeys and put them to his work. 17He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18#Prov 1.25–28; Mic 3.4And on that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you on that day.”

Israel’s Request for a King Granted

19But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, “No! We are determined to have a king over us, 20#v 5so that we also may be like other nations and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21When Samuel heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22#v 7The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and set a king over them.” Samuel then said to the Israelites, “Each of you return home.”

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1 Samuel 8: NRSVUE

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