[[1 Samuel 7|<< 1 Samuel 7]] | [[1 Samuel|1 Samuel]] | [[1 Samuel 9|1 Samuel 9 >>]] ### 1 Samuel 8 1 AND it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. ^1 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: _they_ _were_ judges in Beer-sheba. ^2 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. ^3 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, ^4 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 6 ¶ But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. ^6 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 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 9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. ^9 10 ¶ And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. ^10 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 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 13 And he will take your daughters _to_ _be_ confectionaries, and _to_ _be_ cooks, and _to_ _be_ bakers. ^13 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 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. ^15 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 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. ^17 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 19 ¶ Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, No; but we will have a king over us; ^19 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 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. ^21 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