1Samuel - Chapter 8 | Good News Translation

  • 1. When Samuel grew old, he made his sons judges in Israel.
  • 2. The older son was named Joel and the younger one Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.
  • 3. But they did not follow their father's example; they were interested only in making money, so they accepted bribes and did not decide cases honestly.
  • 4. Then all the leaders of Israel met together, went to Samuel in Ramah,
  • 5. and said to him, "Look, you are getting old and your sons don't follow your example. So then, appoint a king to rule over us, so that we will have a king, as other countries have."
  • 6. Samuel was displeased with their request for a king; so he prayed to the LORD,
  • 7. and the LORD said, "Listen to everything the people say to you. You are not the one they have rejected; I am the one they have rejected as their king.
  • 8. Ever since I brought them out of Egypt, they have turned away from me and worshiped other gods; and now they are doing to you what they have always done to me.
  • 9. So then, listen to them, but give them strict warnings and explain how their kings will treat them."
  • 10. Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything that the LORD had said to him.
  • 11. "This is how your king will treat you," Samuel explained. "He will make soldiers of your sons; some of them will serve in his war chariots, others in his cavalry, and others will run before his chariots.
  • 12. He will make some of them officers in charge of a thousand men, and others in charge of fifty men. Your sons will have to plow his fields, harvest his crops, and make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots.
  • 13. Your daughters will have to make perfumes for him and work as his cooks and his bakers.
  • 14. He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials.
  • 15. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your grapes for his court officers and other officials.
  • 16. He will take your servants and your best cattle and donkeys, and make them work for him.
  • 17. He will take a tenth of your flocks. And you yourselves will become his slaves.
  • 18. When that time comes, you will complain bitterly because of your king, whom you yourselves chose, but the LORD will not listen to your complaints."
  • 19. The people paid no attention to Samuel, but said, "No! We want a king,
  • 20. so that we will be like other nations, with our own king to rule us and to lead us out to war and to fight our battles."
  • 21. Samuel listened to everything they said and then went and told it to the LORD.
  • 22. The LORD answered, "Do what they want and give them a king." Then Samuel told all the men of Israel to go back home.
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