1 Samuel 8

Modern

Literal

Israel Demands a King

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

¹And it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.

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

²And the name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second Abijah—judges in Beersheba.

³But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

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

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

⁴And all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,

⁵“Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”

⁵and they said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint to us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

⁶But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.

⁶And the thing was bad in the eyes of Samuel when they said, “Give to us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to YHWH.

⁷And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.

⁷And YHWH said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but Me they have rejected from reigning over them.

⁸Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

⁸According to all the works that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, and to this day—and they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing also to you.

⁹Now listen to their voice; but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.”

⁹And now listen to their voice. Only surely you must solemnly warn them and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

Samuel’s Warning

¹⁰So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king.

¹⁰And Samuel told all the words of YHWH to the people who were asking from him a king.

¹¹He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots.

¹¹And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: Your sons he will take and appoint to his own chariots and horses, and some will run before the face of his chariots.

¹²He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

¹²And He will appoint for himself captains of thousands and captains of fifties also to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

¹³And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.

¹³And your daughters he will take for perfumers, and for cooks, and for bakers.

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

¹⁴And your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves—the best ones—he will take and give to his servants.

¹⁵He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants.

¹⁵And your grain and your vintage, He will take a tenth and give it to his officers and servants.

¹⁶And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle^a and donkeys and put them to his own use.

¹⁶And your menservants, and your maidservants, and your best cattle, and your donkeys, he will take and put to his work.

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

¹⁷He will take a tenth of your flock, and you will be his slaves.

¹⁸When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”

¹⁸And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and YHWH will not answer you in that day.”

God Grants the Request

¹⁹Nevertheless , the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us.

¹⁹And the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but surely we will have a king over us,

²⁰Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.”

²⁰that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹Samuel listened to all the words of the people and repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.

²¹And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them in the ears of YHWH.

²²“Listen to their voice,” the LORD said to Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.”

Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Everyone must go back to his city.”

²²And YHWH said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint to them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, every man to his city.”