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¹ And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.² Now the name of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: [they were] judges in Beer-sheba.³ And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

⁴ Then all the elders of Israel assembled, and came to Samuel to Ramah,⁵ And said to 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.⁶ But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us: and Samuel prayed to the LORD.⁷ And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee: for they have not rejected thee, but 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 out of Egypt even to this day, by which they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to thee.⁹ Now therefore hearken to their voice: yet protest solemnly to them, and show them the manner of the king that will reign over them.¹⁰ And Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people that asked of him a king.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] will run before his chariots.¹² And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and [will set them] to till his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.¹³ And he will take your daughters [to be] confectioneries, and [to be] cooks, and [to be] bakers.¹⁴ And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards, [even] the best [of them], and give [them] to his servants.¹⁵ And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.¹⁶ And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your most choice young men, and your asses, and put [them] to his work.¹⁷ He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye will be his servants.¹⁸ And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen for yourselves; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.¹⁹ Nevertheless, the people 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 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 rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.²² And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go ye every man to his city.