1 Samuel 8:10-22

New International Reader's Version

¹⁰ Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything the Lord had said. ¹¹ Samuel told them, “Here’s what the king who rules over you will expect to be done for him. He will take your sons. He’ll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots. ¹² He’ll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plow his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots. ¹³ He’ll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake. ¹⁴ He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He’ll give them to his attendants. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and a tenth of your grapes. He’ll give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶ He will also take your male and female servants. He’ll take your best cattle and donkeys. He’ll use all of them any way he wants to. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸ When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the Lord won’t answer you at that time.”

¹⁹ In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. “No!” they said. “We want a king to rule over us. ²⁰ Then we’ll be like all the other nations. We’ll have a king to lead us. He’ll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles.”

²¹ Samuel heard everything the people said. He told the Lord about it. ²² The Lord answered, “Listen to them. Give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Each of you go back to your own town.”