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¹ Forsothe it was don, whanne Samuel hadde wexide eld, he settide hise sones iugis on Israel.² And the name of his firste gendrid sone was Johel, and the name of the secounde was Abia, iugis in Bersabee.³ And hise sones yeden not in `the weies of hym, but thei bowiden after aueryce, and thei token yiftis, and peruertiden doom.

⁴ Therfor alle the grettere men in birthe of Israel weren gaderid, and camen to Samuel in to Ramatha.⁵ And thei seiden to hym, Lo! thou hast wexid eld, and thi sones goen not in thi weies; ordeyne thou a kyng to vs, `that he deme vs, as also alle naciouns han.<sup>6</sup> And the word displeside in the iyen of Samuel, for thei hadden seid, Yyue thou to vs a kyng, that he deme vs. And Samuel preiede to the Lord.<sup>7</sup> Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou the vois of the puple in alle thingis whiche thei speken to thee; for thei han not caste awey thee, but me, that Y regne not on hem.<sup>8</sup> Bi alle her werkis whiche thei diden, fro the day in whiche Y ledde hem out of Egipt `til to this dai, as thei forsoken me, and seruyden alien goddis, so thei doon also to thee.⁹ Now therfor here thou her vois; netheles witnesse thou to hem; biforseie thou to hem the riyt of the kyng, that schal regne on hem.¹⁰ Therfor Samuel seide alle the wordis of the Lord to the puple, that hadde axid of him a king; and he seide,¹¹ This schal be the `riyt of the kyng, that schal comaunde to you; he schal take youre sones, and schal sette in hise charis;<sup>12</sup> and he schal make hem `to hym silf rideris, and biforegoeris of hise cartis; and he schal ordeyne to hym tribunes, `that is, souereyns of a thousynd, and centuriouns, `that is, souereyns of an hundrid, and eereris of hise feeldis, and reperis of cornes, and smythis of hise armeris, and charis.¹³ Also he schal make youre douytris makeris of `oynementis to hym silf, and fueris, and bakeris.<sup>14</sup> And he schal take youre feeldis and vyneris and the beste places of olyues, and schal yyue to hise seruauntis.<sup>15</sup> But also he schal take the tenthe part of youre cornes, and rentis of vyneris, that he yyue to his chaumberleyns and seruauntis.<sup>16</sup> Sotheli he schal take awey youre seruauntis and handmaydes, and beste yong men, and assis, and schal sette in his werk.<sup>17</sup> Also he schal take the tenthe part of youre flockis, and ye schulen be `seruauntis to hym.¹⁸ And ye schulen crye in that dai fro the face of youre kyng, whom ye han chose to you; and the Lord schal not here you in that dai; for ye axiden a kyng to you.¹⁹ Sotheli the puple nolde here the vois of Samuel, but thei seiden, Nay for a kyng schal be on vs;²⁰ and we also schulen be as alle folkis, and oure kyng schal deme vs, and he schal go out bifor vs, and he schal fiyte oure batel for vs.²¹ And Samuel herde alle the wordis of the puple, and `spak tho in the eeris of the Lord.<sup>22</sup> Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou `the vois of hem, and ordeyne thou a kyng on hem. And Samuel seide to the men of Israel, Ech man go in to his citee.