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Factum est autem cum senuisset Samuel, posuit filios suos judices Israel.

Fuitque nomen filii ejus primogeniti Joel: et nomen secundi Abia, judicum in Bersabee.

Et non ambulaverunt filii illius in viis ejus: sed declinaverunt post avaritiam, acceperuntque munera, et perverterunt judicium.

Congregati ergo universi majores natu Israel, venerunt ad Samuelem in Ramatha.

Dixeruntque ei: Ecce tu senuisti, et filii tui non ambulant in viis tuis: constitue nobis regem, ut judicet nos, sicut et universae habent nationes.

Displicuit sermo in oculis Samuelis, eo quod dixissent: Da nobis regem, ut judicet nos. Et oravit Samuel ad Dominum.

Dixit autem Dominus ad Samuelem: Audi vocem populi in omnibus quae loquuntur tibi: non enim te abjecerunt, sed me, ne regnem super eos.

Juxta omnia opera sua quae fecerunt, a die qua eduxi eos de AEgypto usque ad diem hanc: sicut dereliquerunt me, et servierunt diis alienis, sic faciunt etiam tibi.

Nunc ergo vocem eorum audi: verumtamen contestare eos, et praedic eis jus regis, qui regnaturus est super eos.

10 Dixit itaque Samuel omnia verba Domini ad populum, qui petierat a se regem.

11 Et ait: Hoc erit jus regis, qui imperaturus est vobis: filios vestros tollet, et ponet in curribus suis: facietque sibi equites et praecursores quadrigarum suarum,

12 et constituet sibi tribunos, et centuriones, et aratores agrorum suorum, et messores segetum, et fabros armorum et curruum suorum.

13 Filias quoque vestras faciet sibi unguentarias, et focarias, et panificas.

14 Agros quoque vestros, et vineas, et oliveta optima tollet, et dabit servis suis.

15 Sed et segetes vestras et vinearum reditus addecimabit, ut det eunuchis et famulis suis.

16 Servos etiam vestros, et ancillas, et juvenes optimos, et asinos, auferet, et ponet in opere suo.

17 Greges quoque vestros addecimabit, vosque eritis ei servi.

18 Et clamabitis in die illa a facie regis vestri, quem elegistis vobis: et non exaudiet vos Dominus in die illa, quia petistis vobis regem.

19 Noluit autem populus audire vocem Samuelis, sed dixerunt: Nequaquam: rex enim erit super nos,

20 et erimus nos quoque sicut omnes gentes: et judicabit nos rex noster, et egredietur ante nos, et pugnabit bella nostra pro nobis.

21 Et audivit Samuel omnia verba populi, et locutus est ea in auribus Domini.

22 Dixit autem Dominus ad Samuelem: Audi vocem eorum, et constitue super eos regem. Et ait Samuel ad viros Israel: Vadat unusquisque in civitatem suam.

Israel Asks for a King

When Samuel grew old, he appointed(A) his sons as Israel’s leaders.[a] The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah,(B) and they served at Beersheba.(C) But his sons(D) did not follow his ways. They turned aside(E) after dishonest gain and accepted bribes(F) and perverted(G) justice.

So all the elders(H) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.(I) They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king(J) to lead[b](K) us, such as all the other nations(L) have.”

But when they said, “Give us a king(M) to lead us,” this displeased(N) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen(O) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,(P) but they have rejected me as their king.(Q) As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking(R) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know(S) what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

10 Samuel told(T) all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take(U) your sons and make them serve(V) with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.(W) 12 Some he will assign to be commanders(X) of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your(Y) fields and vineyards(Z) and olive groves and give them to his attendants.(AA) 15 He will take a tenth(AB) of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer(AC) you in that day.(AD)

19 But the people refused(AE) to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want(AF) a king(AG) over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations,(AH) with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated(AI) it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen(AJ) to them and give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 8:1 Traditionally judges
  2. 1 Samuel 8:5 Traditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20
  3. 1 Samuel 8:16 Septuagint; Hebrew young men

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.

And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

And said unto 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.

But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.

And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10 And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto 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 shall run before his chariots.

12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear 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 confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, 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 menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; 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 unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.