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Israel Demands a King

¹ And it came about when Samuel was old that ^(C1)he appointed his sons judges over Israel.² Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in ^(C1)Beersheba.³ His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and ^(C1)took bribes and perverted justice.

⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at ^(C1)Ramah;⁵ and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now ^(C1)appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations."⁶ But the thing was ^(F1)(C1)displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And ^(C2)Samuel prayed to the LORD.⁷ The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for ^(C1)they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.⁸ "Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day--in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also.⁹ "Now then, listen to their voice; ^(C1)however, you shall solemnly ^(F1)warn them and tell them of ^(C2)the ^(F2)procedure of the king who will reign over them."

Warning concerning a King

¹⁰ So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to ^(C1)the people who had asked of him a king.¹¹ He said, "^(C1)This will be the ^(F1)procedure of the king who will reign over you: ^(C2)he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and ^(C3)they will run before his chariots.¹² "^(C1)He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to ^(F1)do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.¹³ "He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers.¹⁴ "^(C1)He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants.¹⁵ "He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants.¹⁶ "He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and ^(F1)use them for his work.¹⁷ "He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants.¹⁸ "Then ^(C1)you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but ^(C2)the LORD will not answer you in that day."

¹⁹ Nevertheless, the people ^(C1)refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us,^20 (C1)that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."²¹ Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, ^(C1)he repeated them in the LORD'S hearing.²² The LORD said to Samuel, "^(C1)Listen to their voice and ^(F1)appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."