1 Samuel 8

Give Us a King Like the Nations Have

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The Sons of Samuel

8:1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.

8:2These were his sons’ names: the firstborn was Joel, and the second son’s name was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

8:3His sons did not walk in his way. They turned aside after completion, took bribes, and perverted ordinances.

Give Us a King

8:4Israel’s men gathered and came to Samuel at Armathaim.

8:5They said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your way. Now appoint a king over us to judge us like the other nations.”

8:6The word was evil in Samuel’s eyes when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord.

8:7The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the people’s voice in whatever they say to you. They have treated Me as nothing so that I should not reign over them; it is not you they have treated as nothing.

8:8As in all the deeds they have done to Me from the day I brought them up from Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you as well.

8:9Now listen to their voice. But solemnly testify to them and report to them the claim of the king who will reign over them.”

8:10Samuel told the whole word of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.

The Claim of the King

8:11He said, “This will be the claim of the king who reigns over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots, his horsemen, and as runners before his chariots.

8:12He will appoint them for himself as commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and set them to reap his harvest, gather his vintage, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment.

8:13He will take your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers.

8:14He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your good olive groves and give them to his servants.

8:15He will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his eunuchs and his servants.

8:16He will take your male slaves, your female slaves, your good cattle herds, and your donkeys, and take a tenth for his work.

8:17He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

8:18On that day you will cry out because of the king you chose for yourselves, but the Lord will not hear you in those days, because you chose a king for yourselves.”

The People Refuse to Listen

8:19The people would not listen to Samuel. They said to him, “No! There must be a king over us,

8:20so that we too may be like all the nations. Our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our war.”

8:21Samuel heard all the people’s words and spoke them in the Lord’s ears.

8:22The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and make a king reign for them.” Samuel said to Israel’s men, “Let each go off to his city.”

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.