1 Samuel 8:9-22

New King James Version

⁹Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and ^(A)show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”

¹⁰So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. ¹¹And he said, ^(B)“This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your ^(C)sons and appoint them for his own ^(D)chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. ¹²He will ^(E)appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ¹⁴And ^(F)he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. ¹⁵He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. ¹⁶And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest ^[a]young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. ¹⁷He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. ¹⁸And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord ^(G)will not hear you in that day.”

¹⁹Nevertheless the people ^(H)refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, ²⁰that we also may be ^(I)like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. ²²So the Lord said to Samuel, ^(J)“Heed their voice, and make them a king.”

And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”

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Footnotes

1 Samuel 8:16 LXX cattle

שמואל א 8:9-22

The Westminster Leningrad Codex

⁹וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקוֹלָ֑ם אַ֗ךְ כִּֽי־הָעֵ֤ד תָּעִיד֙ בָּהֶ֔ם וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֔ם מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ ס

¹⁰וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה אֶל־הָעָ֕ם הַשֹּׁאֲלִ֥ים מֵאִתּ֖וֹ מֶֽלֶךְ׃ ס

¹¹וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם יִקָּ֗ח וְשָׂ֥ם לוֹ֙ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּ֣וֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁ֔יו וְרָצ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מֶרְכַּבְתּֽוֹ׃

¹²וְלָשׂ֣וּם ל֔וֹ שָׂרֵ֥י אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים וְלַחֲרֹ֤שׁ חֲרִישׁוֹ֙ וְלִקְצֹ֣ר קְצִיר֔וֹ וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת כְּלֵֽי־מִלְחַמְתּ֖וֹ וּכְלֵ֥י רִכְבּֽוֹ׃

¹³וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח לְרַקָּח֥וֹת וּלְטַבָּח֖וֹת וּלְאֹפֽוֹת׃

¹⁴וְאֶת־שְׂ֠דֽוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־כַּרְמֵיכֶ֧ם וְזֵיתֵיכֶ֛ם הַטּוֹבִ֖ים יִקָּ֑ח וְנָתַ֖ן לַעֲבָדָֽיו׃

¹⁵וְזַרְעֵיכֶ֥ם וְכַרְמֵיכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְנָתַ֥ן לְסָרִיסָ֖יו וְלַעֲבָדָֽיו׃

¹⁶וְאֶת־עַבְדֵיכֶם֩ וְֽאֶת־שִׁפְח֨וֹתֵיכֶ֜ם וְאֶת־בַּחוּרֵיכֶ֧ם הַטּוֹבִ֛ים וְאֶת־חֲמוֹרֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח וְעָשָׂ֖ה לִמְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃

¹⁷צֹאנְכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּֽהְיוּ־ל֥וֹ לַעֲבָדִֽים׃

¹⁸וּזְעַקְתֶּם֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא מִלִּפְנֵ֣י מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּחַרְתֶּ֖ם לָכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַעֲנֶ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃

¹⁹וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ הָעָ֔ם לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ בְּק֣וֹל שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י אִם־מֶ֖לֶךְ יִֽהְיֶ֥ה עָלֵֽינוּ׃

²⁰וְהָיִ֥ינוּ גַם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ כְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וּשְׁפָטָ֤נוּ מַלְכֵּ֙נוּ֙ וְיָצָ֣א לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַ֖ם אֶת־מִלְחֲמֹתֵֽנוּ׃

²¹וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַֽיְדַבְּרֵ֖ם בְּאָזְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ פ

²²וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל֙ שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקוֹלָ֔ם וְהִמְלַכְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם מֶ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְכ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ לְעִירֽוֹ׃ פ

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1 Samuel 8:9-22

Young's Literal Translation

⁹And now, hearken to their voice; only, surely thou dost certainly protest to them, and hast declared to them the custom of the king who doth reign over them.'

¹⁰And Samuel speaketh all the words of Jehovah unto the people who are asking from him a king,

¹¹and saith, `This is the custom of the king who doth reign over you: Your sons he doth take, and hath appointed for himself among his chariots, and among his horsemen, and they have run before his chariots;

¹²also to appoint for himself heads of thousands, and heads of fifties; also to plow his plowing, and to reap his reaping; and to make instruments of his war, and instruments of his charioteer.

¹³`And your daughters he doth take for perfumers, and for cooks, and for bakers;

¹⁴and your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards -- the best -- he doth take, and hath given to his servants.

¹⁵And your seed and your vineyards he doth tithe, and hath given to his eunuchs, and to his servants.

¹⁶And your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your young men -- the best, and your asses, he doth take, and hath prepared for his own work;

¹⁷your flock he doth tithe, and ye are to him for servants.

¹⁸And ye have cried out in that day because of the king whom ye have chosen for yourselves, and Jehovah doth not answer you in that day.'

¹⁹And the people refuse to hearken to the voice of Samuel, and say, `Nay, but a king is over us,

²⁰and we have been, even we, like all the nations; and our king hath judged us, and gone out before us, and fought our battles.'

²¹And Samuel heareth all the words of the people, and speaketh them in the ears of Jehovah;

²²and Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Hearken to their voice, and thou hast caused to reign over them a king.' And Samuel saith unto the men of Israel, `Go ye each to his city.'

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1 Samuel 8:9-22

New American Standard Bible

⁹Now then, listen to their voice; ^(A)however, you shall warn them strongly and tell them of ^(B)the ^[a]practice of the king who will reign over them.”

Warning concerning a King

¹⁰So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to ^(C)the people who had asked him for a king. ¹¹And he said, “^(D)This will be the ^[b]practice of the king who will reign over you: ^(E)he will take your sons and put them in his chariots for himself and among his horsemen, and ^(F)they will run before his chariots. ¹²^(G)He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to ^[c]do his plowing and to gather in his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³He will also take your daughters and use them as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ¹⁴^(H)He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. ¹⁵And he will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his high officials and his servants. ¹⁶He will also take your male servants and your female servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and ^[d]use them for his work. ¹⁷He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. ¹⁸Then ^(I)you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but ^(J)the Lord will not answer you on that day.”

¹⁹Yet the people ^(K)refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, ²⁰^(L)so that we also may be like all the nations, and our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” ²¹Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, ^(M)he ^[e]repeated them in the Lord’s hearing. ²²And the Lord said to Samuel, “^(N)Listen to their voice and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, every man to his city.”