Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at (A)Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. (B)Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, (C)for they have not rejected you, (D)but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them (E)and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

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So all the elders(A) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.(B) They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king(C) to lead[a](D) us, such as all the other nations(E) have.”

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

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Footnotes

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