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1 Samuel 8
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
1 Samuel 8
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
II. Establishment of the Monarchy
Chapter 8
Request for a King. 1 [a]In his old age Samuel appointed his sons judges over Israel.(A) 2 His firstborn was named Joel, his second son, Abijah; they judged at Beer-sheba. 3 His sons did not follow his example, but looked to their own gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.(B) 4 Therefore all the elders of Israel assembled and went to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, like all the nations, to rule us.”(C)
6 Samuel was displeased when they said, “Give us a king to rule us.” But he prayed to the Lord. 7 The Lord said: Listen to whatever the people say. You are not the one they are rejecting. They are rejecting me as their king.(D) 8 They are acting toward you just as they have acted from the day I brought them up from Egypt to this very day, deserting me to serve other gods. 9 Now listen to them; but at the same time, give them a solemn warning and inform them of the rights of the king who will rule them.
The Governance of the King. 10 Samuel delivered the message of the Lord in full to those who were asking him for a king. 11 He told them: “The governance of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot.(E) 12 He will appoint from among them his commanders of thousands and of hundreds. He will make them do his plowing and harvesting and produce his weapons of war and chariotry.(F) 13 He will use your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his servants.(G) 15 He will tithe your crops and grape harvests to give to his officials[b] and his servants.(H) 16 He will take your male and female slaves, as well as your best oxen and donkeys, and use them to do his work. 17 He will also tithe your flocks. As for you, you will become his slaves.(I) 18 On that day you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you on that day.”
Persistent Demand. 19 The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “No! There must be a king over us.(J) 20 We too must be like all the nations, with a king to rule us, lead us in warfare, and fight our battles.” 21 Samuel listened to all the concerns of the people and then repeated them to the Lord. 22 The Lord said: Listen to them! Appoint a king to rule over them. Then Samuel said to the people of Israel, “Return, each one of you, to your own city.”[c]
Footnotes
- 8:1–22 From this chapter on, the editors of 1 Samuel provide two and sometimes three perspectives on the same event: e.g., the selection of Saul as king is recounted in chap. 8; 10:17–24; chap. 12.
- 8:15 Officials: lit., eunuchs. These high-ranking administrators were not necessarily emasculated.
- 8:22 To your own city: Samuel will later reassemble the people at Mizpah (10:17) to acclaim Saul as their king.
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
撒母耳记上 8
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
撒母耳记上 8
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
以色列人要求立王
8 撒母耳在年老的时候立了他的儿子做以色列人的士师。 2 他的长子是约珥，次子是亚比亚，他们在别示巴做士师。 3 然而，他们没有效法自己的父亲，而是爱慕不义之财，贪赃枉法。
4 于是，以色列的长老一起到拉玛去见撒母耳， 5 说：“你年纪大了，你的儿子不效法你。现在求你为我们立一个王治理我们，像其他国家一样。” 6 撒母耳听到他们要求立一个王治理他们，心中不悦，就向耶和华祷告。 7 耶和华对撒母耳说：“你照他们所说的去做吧，因为他们不是拒绝你，而是拒绝我做他们的王。 8 自从我把他们从埃及领出来以后，他们就常常背弃我，去供奉其他神明。现在，他们也这样对待你。 9 你就照他们所求的去做吧！但你要警告他们，让他们知道将来王会怎样管辖他们。”
10 撒母耳就把耶和华的话转告给那些请求他立王的民众，说： 11 “将来管辖你们的王会征用你们的儿子做他的战车兵、骑兵，要他们跑在他的战车前面。 12 他会派一些人做千夫长、五十夫长，一些人为他耕种田地、收割庄稼，一些人制造兵器和战车的装备。 13 他会把你们的女儿带走，要她们给他造香膏、煮饭和烤饼。 14 他会夺去你们最好的田地、葡萄园和橄榄园，送给他的臣仆。 15 他会从你们的粮食和葡萄园的出产中收取十分之一，送给他的官员和臣仆。 16 他会征用你们的仆婢及最好的牛[a]和驴来为他效劳。 17 他会拿去你们羊群的十分之一，并让你们做他的奴仆。 18 将来你们会因所选之王的压迫而呼求耶和华，耶和华却不会垂听你们。”
19 民众却不肯听从撒母耳的话。他们说：“不，我们想要一个王治理我们， 20 这样我们就会像其他国家一样，有王来统治我们，率领我们，为我们作战。” 21 撒母耳把这些人的话一五一十地告诉了耶和华。 22 耶和华对撒母耳说：“照他们说的去为他们立一个王吧。”于是，撒母耳对以色列人说：“你们各人回自己的城去吧。”
Footnotes
- 8:16 “牛”有古卷作“青年”。
I Samuelis 8
Biblia Sacra Vulgata
I Samuelis 8
Biblia Sacra Vulgata
8 Factum est autem cum senuisset Samuel, posuit filios suos judices Israel.
2 Fuitque nomen filii ejus primogeniti Joel: et nomen secundi Abia, judicum in Bersabee.
3 Et non ambulaverunt filii illius in viis ejus: sed declinaverunt post avaritiam, acceperuntque munera, et perverterunt judicium.
4 Congregati ergo universi majores natu Israel, venerunt ad Samuelem in Ramatha.
5 Dixeruntque ei: Ecce tu senuisti, et filii tui non ambulant in viis tuis: constitue nobis regem, ut judicet nos, sicut et universae habent nationes.
6 Displicuit sermo in oculis Samuelis, eo quod dixissent: Da nobis regem, ut judicet nos. Et oravit Samuel ad Dominum.
7 Dixit autem Dominus ad Samuelem: Audi vocem populi in omnibus quae loquuntur tibi: non enim te abjecerunt, sed me, ne regnem super eos.
8 Juxta omnia opera sua quae fecerunt, a die qua eduxi eos de AEgypto usque ad diem hanc: sicut dereliquerunt me, et servierunt diis alienis, sic faciunt etiam tibi.
9 Nunc ergo vocem eorum audi: verumtamen contestare eos, et praedic eis jus regis, qui regnaturus est super eos.
10 Dixit itaque Samuel omnia verba Domini ad populum, qui petierat a se regem.
11 Et ait: Hoc erit jus regis, qui imperaturus est vobis: filios vestros tollet, et ponet in curribus suis: facietque sibi equites et praecursores quadrigarum suarum,
12 et constituet sibi tribunos, et centuriones, et aratores agrorum suorum, et messores segetum, et fabros armorum et curruum suorum.
13 Filias quoque vestras faciet sibi unguentarias, et focarias, et panificas.
14 Agros quoque vestros, et vineas, et oliveta optima tollet, et dabit servis suis.
15 Sed et segetes vestras et vinearum reditus addecimabit, ut det eunuchis et famulis suis.
16 Servos etiam vestros, et ancillas, et juvenes optimos, et asinos, auferet, et ponet in opere suo.
17 Greges quoque vestros addecimabit, vosque eritis ei servi.
18 Et clamabitis in die illa a facie regis vestri, quem elegistis vobis: et non exaudiet vos Dominus in die illa, quia petistis vobis regem.
19 Noluit autem populus audire vocem Samuelis, sed dixerunt: Nequaquam: rex enim erit super nos,
20 et erimus nos quoque sicut omnes gentes: et judicabit nos rex noster, et egredietur ante nos, et pugnabit bella nostra pro nobis.
21 Et audivit Samuel omnia verba populi, et locutus est ea in auribus Domini.
22 Dixit autem Dominus ad Samuelem: Audi vocem eorum, et constitue super eos regem. Et ait Samuel ad viros Israel: Vadat unusquisque in civitatem suam.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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.
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified) (CCB)
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Biblia Sacra Vulgata (VULGATE)