1 Samuel 8

When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons to lead the people of Israel.

Samuel had two sons. Joel was his older son and Abijah was his younger son. They settled people’s disputes in the town of Beersheba.

But Joel and Abijah were not honest like their father. They only wanted to get a lot of money. They accepted bribes, and they did not make honest decisions about people’s disputes. \*

Finally, the Israelite leaders met in the town of Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.

The leaders said to Samuel, “Now listen! You are now old, and your sons are not honest like you. So give us a king to rule over us, like the kings that other countries have!” \*

Samuel thought it was wrong for them to ask him to give them a king to rule them. So he prayed to God about it.

God answered him, “Do everything that these leaders have asked you to do. But recognize that by asking for a king, they are not really refusing to have your family continue to lead them. They are actually refusing to have me continue to be their king. \*

This is just like what they have been doing ever since I brought them out of Egypt. They have rejected me and worshiped other gods. Now they are also rejecting you in the same way.

So this is what I want you to do. Appoint a king for them as they have asked. But warn them clearly and explain to them what privileges this king will claim for himself!” \*

So Samuel told the Israelite leaders who were asking him for a king what God had told him.

He said, “If a king rules over you, this is what he will do to you. He will force many of your sons to serve in his army as chariot drivers or as soldiers on horseback. He will make a large group of your sons run in front of his chariot.

He will make some of your sons officers who will command groups of a thousand soldiers or groups of fifty soldiers. But he will force others to plow his fields and then later harvest his crops. He will force still others to make military weapons and equipment for his chariots. \*

The king will also make some of your daughters work for him. They will have to make perfumes and cook food and bake bread for him.

He will seize your best fields and vineyards and olive groves so that he can give them to his attendants.

The king will take one tenth of the grain and wine that you produce and distribute it among his own officers and attendants. \*

He will also claim your best male and female servants and the strong young men in your household and make them work for him. He will also take your donkeys and use them to carry loads for him.

He will take one tenth of your sheep and goats. It will be as if you are his slaves.

When all of this happens, you will complain loudly about the king whom you yourselves have chosen. But when that happens, God will make you keep serving the king you are complaining about.” \*

But despite everything Samuel told them, the people stubbornly insisted that they did not want any ruler other than a king.

They told him, “We want to be like the other nations. We want a king to rule us and to lead our soldiers to fight against our enemies.” \*

When Samuel heard everything that the people had said, he repeated it to God for him to hear.

God answered him, “Do what they are asking you to do. Appoint someone to be their king.” So Samuel told the Israelite elders that they could all go home, because he would arrange for them to have a king. \*