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¹ And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons judges to Israel;² and the name of his firstborn son was, Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah, - they were judges in Beer-sheba.³ Howbeit his sons walked not in his ways, but stooped to extortion, - and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

⁴ So then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, - and came unto Samuel, to Ramah;⁵ and said unto him - Lo! thou, art old, and, thy sons, walk not in thy ways: Now, appoint for us a king to judge us, like all the nations.⁶ But the thing was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, Give unto us a king to judge us. So Samuel prayed unto Yahweh.⁷ And Yahweh said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people, in all that they shall say unto thee, - for, not thee, have they rejected, but, me, have they rejected, from being king over them.⁸ According to all the doings which they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt, even until this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so, are they doing even unto thee.⁹ Now, therefore, hearken to their voice, - save that thou, enter protest, against them, and tell them the manner of the king who will reign over them.¹⁰ So then Samuel spake all the words of Yahweh unto the people, who were asking of him, a king.¹¹ And he said, This, will be the manner of the king who will reign over you, - Your sons, will he take and appoint for himself, as his charioteers and as his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariots;¹² and he will appoint for himself, princes of thousands, and princes of fifties, - and to plough his fields, and to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war, and the instruments of his chariots;¹³ And, your daughters, will he take, - as perfumers and as cooks, and as bakers;¹⁴ And, your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, the best of them, will he take, and give to his servants;¹⁵ And, your seed, and your vineyards, will he tithe, and give to his courtiers and to his servants;¹⁶ And, your men-servants, and your maidservants, and your oxen, even the goodliest, and your asses, will he take, - and put them to his work;¹⁷ Your flocks, will he tithe, - and, ye yourselves, shall become his servants.¹⁸ Then will ye make outcry, in that day, because of your king whom ye have chosen for yourselves, - and Yahweh will not answer you, in that day.¹⁹ But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel, - and they said - Nay! but, a king, shall be over us:²⁰ so shall, even we, become like all the nations, - and our king shall judge us, and go forth before us, and fight our battles.²¹ And Samuel heard all the words of the people, - and spake them in the ears of Yahweh.²² And Yahweh said unto Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel: Go ye, every man to his own city.