And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

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They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king(A) to lead[a](B) us, such as all the other nations(C) have.”

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Footnotes

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

21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

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21 Then the people asked for a king,(A) and he gave them Saul(B) son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,(C) who ruled forty years.

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14 When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;

15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.

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The King

14 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession(A) of it and settled in it,(B) and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”(C) 15 be sure to appoint(D) over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites.(E) Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite.

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19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

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19 But the people refused(A) to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want(B) a king(C) over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations,(D) with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

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But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.

And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

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But when they said, “Give us a king(A) to lead us,” this displeased(B) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen(C) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,(D) but they have rejected me as their king.(E) As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking(F) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

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10 I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?

11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

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10 Where is your king,(A) that he may save you?
    Where are your rulers in all your towns,
of whom you said,
    ‘Give me a king and princes’?(B)
11 So in my anger I gave you a king,(C)
    and in my wrath I took him away.(D)

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17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king.

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17 Is it not wheat harvest(A) now? I will call(B) on the Lord to send thunder(C) and rain.(D) And you will realize what an evil(E) thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”

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For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

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From the rocky peaks I see them,
    from the heights I view them.(A)
I see a people who live apart
    and do not consider themselves one of the nations.(B)

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