Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now (A)make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

But the thing (B)displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel (C)prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for (D)they have not rejected you, but (E)they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

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

But when they said, “Give us a king(F) to lead us,” this displeased(G) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen(H) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,(I) but they have rejected me as their king.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 8:5 Traditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20