Israel’s Demand for a King

¹ When Samuel grew old he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

² The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

³ But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after gain, they took bribes, and they perverted justice.

⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

⁵ They said to him, “Look, you are old and your sons do not follow in your ways. So then appoint a king for us to judge¹ us, like all the nations.

1. Or “to rule”

⁶ But the matter ⌞was displeasing to Samuel⌟¹ when they said, “Give us a king to judge² us,” so Samuel prayed to Yahweh.

1. Literally “was evil in the eyes of Samuel”
2. Or “to rule”

⁷ Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people concerning all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

⁸ Like all the deeds they have done from the day I brought them up from Egypt until this day, they have forsaken me and have served other gods—so they are doing to you also.

⁹ And so then, listen to their voice. However, you must earnestly warn them; you must explain to them the custom of the king who will rule over them.”

¹⁰ So Samuel spoke all the words of Yahweh to the people who were requesting a king from him.

¹¹ He said, “This will be the custom of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots.

¹² He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and those ⌞to do his plowing⌟¹ and to reap his harvest, and those to make weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots.

1. Literally “to plow his plowing”

¹³ He will take your daughters as his perfume makers and as cooks and as bakers.

¹⁴ He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive trees and will give them to his servants.

¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his high officials and to his servants.

¹⁶ He will take your male slaves and your female slaves and the best of your young men¹ and your donkeys and ⌞will use them for his projects⌟.²

1. LXX reads “cattle”
2. Literally “will put them to his work”

¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks,¹ and you yourselves will become his servants.

1. The Hebrew term refers collectively to both sheep and goats (small livestock animals)

¹⁸ So you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but Yahweh will not answer you on that day!”

¹⁹ However, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel and they said, “No, but there must be a king over us,

²⁰ so that we ⌞also⌟¹ may be like all the nations, and our king may rule us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

1. Literally “even we”

²¹ Now when Samuel heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of Yahweh.

²² Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel spoke to the men of Israel, “Each of you go to his own town.”