1 Samuel 8:19-22

New International Reader's Version

¹⁹ In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. “No!” they said. “We want a king to rule over us. ²⁰ Then we’ll be like all the other nations. We’ll have a king to lead us. He’ll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles.”

²¹ Samuel heard everything the people said. He told the Lord about it. ²² The Lord answered, “Listen to them. Give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Each of you go back to your own town.”