1Sa 8 | ABEn | STEP | And it came to pass as Samuel grew old, that he placed his sons as magistrates in Israel.

1 Samuel 8

CHAPTER 8 Samuel's Wicked Sons

1 And it came to pass as Samuel grew old, that he placed his sons as magistrates in Israel. 2 And these are the names of his sons. The first-born was Joel, and the name of the second Abiah, magistrates in Beer-sheba. 3 And [²did not ³go ¹his sons] in his way. And they turned aside after the contribution, and they took bribes, and turned aside ordinances.

Israel Asks for a King

4 And [³gathered together ¹the men ²of Israel], and they came to Samuel into Ramah. 5 And they said to him, Behold, you grow old, and your sons do not go in your way. And now place over us a king to adjudicate for us as all the nations! 6 And [³was ⁴wicked ¹the ²matter] in the eyes of Samuel, as they said, Give to us a king to adjudicate for us! And Samuel prayed to the lord. 7 And the lord said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people! as whatever they should speak to you, for it is not you they treat with contempt, but only me they treat with contempt, to not reign over them. 8 According to all the works which they did to me, from which day I led them from Egypt, and until this day; even as they abandoned me, and served other gods, so they do also to you. 9 And now hearken to their voice! Only that in testifying you should testify to them, and you shall report to them the ordinance of the king, which shall reign over them. 10 And Samuel spoke all the words of the lord to the people, of the ones asking of him for a king.

Ordinance Regarding Kings

11 And he said, This will be the ordinance of the king, of the one reigning over you. Your sons he shall take and put them in his chariots and among his horsemen, and they shall run in front of his chariots. 12 And he will appoint them for himself as commanders of thousands, and commanders of hundreds, to plow his plowing, and to harvest his harvest, and to gather the vintage of his gathering the crops, and to make items for his warfare, and items for his chariots. 13 And your daughters he will take for perfumers, and for cooks, and for baking. 14 And your fields, and your vineyards, and [³olive groves ¹your ²good] he will take and will give to his servants. 15 And your seeds he will take a tenth, and of your vineyards, and he will give to his eunuchs, and to his servants. 16 And your menservants, and your maidservants, and [³herds ¹your ²good], and your donkeys he shall take; and he will take a tenth for his works. 17 And [²of your flocks ¹he will take a tenth]. And you will be to him for servants. 18 And you shall yell in that day before the face of your king, of which you chose for yourselves; and [²will not heed ¹the lord] you in those days. 19 And [³willed not ¹the ²people] to hearken to the voice of Samuel. And they said to him, Not so, but let it be that a king will be over us. 20 And [³will be ²also ¹we] as all the nations. And [³shall adjudicate ⁴for us ²king ¹our], and he shall go forth in front of us, and he will wage our war. 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them into the ears of the lord. 22 And the lord said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice, and let [²reign ³unto them ¹a king]! And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Let [²run ¹each man] to his city!