1 Samuel 8:4-10

New American Standard Bible

⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at ^(A)Ramah; ⁵ and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now ^(B)appoint us a king to judge us like all the nations.” ⁶ But the matter was ^[a](C)displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And ^(D)Samuel prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people regarding all that they say to you, because ^(E)they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them. ⁸ Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have abandoned Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you as well. ⁹ Now then, listen to their voice; ^(F)however, you shall warn them strongly and tell them of ^(G)the ^[b]practice of the king who will reign over them.”

Warning concerning a King

¹⁰ So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to ^(H)the people who had asked him for a king.