1 Samuel 7:15-8:3

Common English Bible

¹⁵ Samuel served as Israel’s judge his whole life. ¹⁶ Each year he traveled between Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, serving as Israel’s judge in each of those locations. ¹⁷ Then he would return to Ramah because that’s where his home was. In Ramah too he served as Israel’s judge, and that is also where he built an altar to the Lord.

Israel demands a king

8 Now when Samuel got old, he appointed his sons to serve as Israel’s judges. ² The name of his oldest son was Joel; the name of the second was Abijah. They served as judges in Beer-sheba. ³ But Samuel’s sons didn’t follow in his footsteps. They tried to turn a profit, they accepted bribes, and they perverted justice.