³ But his sons^(A) did not follow his ways. They turned aside^(B) after dishonest gain and accepted bribes^(C) and perverted^(D) justice.

⁴ So all the elders^(E) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.^{(F) 5} They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king^(G) to lead^[a](H) us, such as all the other nations^(I) have.”

⁶ But when they said, “Give us a king^(J) to lead us,” this displeased^(K) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord told him: “Listen^(L) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,^(M) but they have rejected me as their king.^{(N) 8} As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking^(O) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹ Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know^(P) what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

¹⁰ Samuel told^(Q) all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take^(R) your sons and make them serve^(S) with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.^{(T) 12} Some he will assign to be commanders^(U) of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.

¹⁵ Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”

¹⁶ Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys^(A) had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

¹⁷ Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah^{(B) 18} and said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed^(C) you.’ ¹⁹ But you have now rejected^(D) your God, who saves^(E) you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king^(F) over us.’^(G) So now present^(H) yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”

²³ And God raised up against Solomon another adversary,^(A) Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer^(B) king of Zobah.

³ Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah,^(A) in the vicinity of Hamath, when he went to set up his monument at^[a] the Euphrates River.^{(B) 4} David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung^(C) all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus^(D) came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. ⁶ He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought him tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tebah^[b] and Kun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea,^(E) the pillars and various bronze articles.

⁹ When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold, of silver and of bronze.

³ Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah,^(A) in the vicinity of Hamath, when he went to set up his monument at^[a] the Euphrates River.^{(B) 4} David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung^(C) all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus^(D) came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. ⁶ He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought him tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tebah^[b] and Kun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea,^(E) the pillars and various bronze articles.

⁹ When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold, of silver and of bronze.