The First Book of Samuel (WEB)
8:1 It happened, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. 8:2Now the name
of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beersheba. 8:3His
sons didn't walk in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
8:4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah; 8:5and
they said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons don't walk in your ways: now make us a king
to judge us like all the nations. 8:6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king
to judge us. Samuel prayed to Yahweh. 8:7Yahweh said to Samuel, Listen to the voice of the people
in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not
be king over them. 8:8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought
them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do
they also to you. 8:9Now therefore listen to their voice: however you shall protest solemnly to them,
and shall show them the manner of the king who shall reign over them. 8:10Samuel told all the
words of Yahweh to the people who asked of him a king. 8:11He said, This will be the manner of
the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him, for his
chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots; 8:12and he will appoint
them to him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will set some to plow his
ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his
chariots. 8:13He will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 8:14He
will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves, even the best of them, and give
them to his servants. 8:15He will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his
officers, and to his servants. 8:16He will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your
best young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 8:17He will take the tenth of your
flocks: and you shall be his servants. 8:18You shall cry out in that day because of your king whom
you shall have chosen you; and Yahweh will not answer you in that day. 8:19But the people refused
to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, No: but we will have a king over us, 8:20that we also
may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our
battles. 8:21Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Yahweh.
8:22Yahweh said to Samuel, Listen to their voice, and make them a king. Samuel said to the men of
Israel, Go you every man to his city.
World English Bible