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1 Samuel 8
English Standard Version
1 Samuel 8
English Standard Version
Israel Demands a King
8 When Samuel became old, (A)he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways (B)but turned aside after gain. (C)They took bribes and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at (D)Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. (E)Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, (F)for they have not rejected you, (G)but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 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. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them (H)and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
Samuel's Warning Against Kings
10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, (I)“These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: (J)he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some (K)to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 (L)He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men[a] and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, (M)but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
The Lord Grants Israel's Request
19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 (N)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.” 21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, (O)“Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 8:16 Septuagint cattle
1 Samuelsboken 8
Svenska 1917
1 Samuelsboken 8
Svenska 1917
8 Men när Samuel blev gammal, satte han sina söner till domare över Israel
2 Hans förstfödde son hette Joel, och hans andre son Abia; de hade sitt domarsäte i Beer-Seba.
3 Men hans söner vandrade icke på hans väg, utan veko av därifrån och sökte orätt vinning; de togo mutor och vrängde rätten.
4 Då församlade sig alla de äldste i Israel och kommo till Samuel i Rama.
5 Och de sade till honom: »Du är ju nu gammal, och dina söner vandra icke på dina vägar. Så sätt nu en konung över oss till att döma oss, såsom alla andra folk hava.»
6 Men det misshagade Samuel, detta att de sade då: »Giv oss en konung, for att han må döma oss.» Och Samuel bad till HERREN.
7 Då sade HERREN till Samuel »Lyssna till folkets ord, och gör allt vad de begära av dig; ty det är icke dig de hava förkastat, nej, mig hava de förkastat, i det de icke vilja att jag skall vara konung över dem.
8 Såsom de alltid hava gjort, från den dag då jag förde dem upp ur Egypten ända till denna dag, i det att de hava övergivit mig och tjänat andra gudar, så göra de nu ock mot dig.
9 Så lyssna nu till deras ord. Dock må du högtidligt varna dem och förkunna för dem den konungs rätt, som kommer att regera över dem.»
10 Och Samuel sade till folket, som hade begärt en konung av honom, allt vad HERREN hade talat.
11 Han sade: »Detta bliver den konungs rätt, som kommer att regera över eder: Edra söner skall han taga och skall sätta dem på sina vagnar och hästar, till sin tjänst, eller ock skola de nödgas löpa framför hans vagnar.
12 Andra av dem skall han taga och sätta till sina över- och underhövitsmän, och andra skola nödgas plöja hans åkerjord och inbärga hans skörd och förfärdiga hans krigsredskap och hans vagnsredskap.
13 Edra döttrar skall han taga till salvoberederskor, kokerskor och bagerskor.
14 Edra bästa åkrar, vingårdar och olivplanteringar skall han taga och skall giva dem åt sina tjänare;
15 och han skall taga tionde av edra sädesfält och edra vingårdar och giva åt sina hovmän och tjänare.
16 Därtill skall han taga edra tjänare och edra tjänarinnor och edra bästa ynglingar, så ock edra åsnor, och bruka dem för sitt behov.
17 Av eder småboskap skall han taga tionde, och I skolen vara hans trälar.
18 När I då ropen om hjälp för dem konungs skull som I själva haven utvalt åt eder, då skall HERREN icke svara eder.
19 Men folket ville icke lyssna till Samuels ord, utan sade: »Nej, en konung måste vi hava över oss.»
20 Vi vilja bliva lika alla andra folk; vi vilja hava en konung som dömer oss, och som drager ut i spetsen för oss till att föra våra krig.»
21 Då nu Samuel hörde allt detta som folket sade, framförde han det till HERREN.
22 Men HERREN sade till Samuel: »Lyssna till deras ord, och sätt en konung över dem.» Då sade Samuel till Israels män: »Gån hem, var och en till sin stad.»
1 Samuel 8
New International Version
1 Samuel 8
New International Version
Israel Asks for a King
8 When Samuel grew old, he appointed(A) his sons as Israel’s leaders.[a] 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah,(B) and they served at Beersheba.(C) 3 But his sons(D) did not follow his ways. They turned aside(E) after dishonest gain and accepted bribes(F) and perverted(G) justice.
4 So all the elders(H) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.(I) 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king(J) to lead[b](K) us, such as all the other nations(L) have.”
6 But when they said, “Give us a king(M) to lead us,” this displeased(N) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen(O) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,(P) but they have rejected me as their king.(Q) 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking(R) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know(S) what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”
10 Samuel told(T) 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(U) your sons and make them serve(V) with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.(W) 12 Some he will assign to be commanders(X) 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. 14 He will take the best of your(Y) fields and vineyards(Z) and olive groves and give them to his attendants.(AA) 15 He will take a tenth(AB) of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer(AC) you in that day.(AD)”
19 But the people refused(AE) to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want(AF) a king(AG) over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations,(AH) with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated(AI) it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen(AJ) to them and give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 8:1 Traditionally judges
- 1 Samuel 8:5 Traditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20
- 1 Samuel 8:16 Septuagint; Hebrew young men
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Svenska 1917 (SV1917)
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.