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1 Samuel 8
New Catholic Bible
1 Samuel 8
New Catholic Bible
The Inauguration of the Monarchy[a]
Chapter 8
The People Request a King. 1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2 The name of the older was Joel, and the name of the younger was Abijah, and they were judges at Beer-sheba. 3 The sons did not walk in his ways. They sought dishonest gains, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 All of the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are now old, and your sons are not following in your path. Appoint a king over us, just like all the other nations have.”
6 It displeased Samuel when they said to him, “Appoint a king over us,” so Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 The Lord said to him, “Listen to everything that the people have requested of you. It is not you whom the people have rejected, they have rejected me as their king. 8 They have done this from the day that I brought them up out of Egypt to this very day. They have rejected me and served other gods, just as they have rejected you. 9 So grant their request, but warn them solemnly and inform them what the king who reigns over them will do.”
10 The Rule of a King. Samuel told the people who were asking for a king everything that the Lord had said. 11 He said, “This is what the king who reigns over you will do. He will take away your sons to serve him on his chariots and his horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.[b] 12 He will appoint some as commanders of groups of thousands, and others as commanders of groups of fifty. He will set some to plowing his fields and reaping his harvests. Others will make weapons and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be makers of perfumes and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves and he will give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain harvest and the harvest of your vineyards and give it to his officials and his attendants. 16 He will take your menservants and your maidservants, the best of your cattle and donkeys, and use them for his own work. 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 help because of the king that you have chosen, but on that day the Lord will not listen to you.”[c]
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. They said, “No! We want a king over us! 20 Then we will be like every other nation, with a king to lead us and to go out before us to fight in our battles.”
21 When Samuel heard everything that the people had said, he repeated it to the Lord. 22 So the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to them and appoint a king over them.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Let each man go back to his own town.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 8:1 Israel needs a strong authority to deal with the Philistine threat. Neighboring peoples offer a model: monarchy. But does not having a king mean imitating the pagan nations and betraying the Lord, who is the only true king of his people? The conscience of Israel is disturbed; the passages we shall be reading here (revised by the author of the book) bear witness to this unease: some Israelites are in favor of a monarchy, others opposed to it.
- 1 Samuel 8:11 In front of his chariots: as a sign of honor; this custom continued in the East down to modern times (2 Sam 15:1; 1 Ki 1:5).
- 1 Samuel 8:18 Samuel, despite his many admonitions, could not convince the Israelites that they would regret their decision to appoint a king. He wanted them to recognize that in God alone would they find true peace and deliverance.
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
Shmuel Alef 8
Orthodox Jewish Bible
Shmuel Alef 8
Orthodox Jewish Bible
8 And it came to pass, when Shmuel was old, that he made his banim shofetim over Yisroel.
2 Now the shem of his ben habechor was Yoel; and the shem of his mishneh (second), Aviyah; they were shofetim at Be’er Sheva.
3 And his banim walked not in his drakhim, but turned aside after betza (dishonest gain), and took shochad (bribe[s]), and perverted mishpat (justice).
4 Then kol Ziknei Yisroel gathered themselves together, and came to Shmuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Hinei, thou art old, and thy banim walk not in thy drakhim; now appoint for us a Melech to judge us like kol HaGoyim.
6 But the thing was displeasing in the eyes of Shmuel, when they said, Give us a Melech to judge us. And Shmuel davened unto Hashem.
7 And Hashem said unto Shmuel, Shema unto the voice of HaAm in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign as Melech over them.
8 According to all the ma’asim which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Mitzrayim even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me, and served elohim acherim, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore pay heed unto their voice; howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the mishpat hamelech (customary ways of the king, kingly perogative) that shall reign over them.
10 And Shmuel told all the Divrei Hashem unto the people that asked of him a Melech.
11 And he said, This will be the mishpat hamelech that shall reign over you: he will take your banim, and appoint them for himself for his merkavah and his parashim; and some shall run before his merkavah.
12 And he will appoint for him sarei elafim, and sarei chamishim and will set them to plow his ground, and to reap his katzir (harvest), and to make his instruments of war, and his chariot equipment.
13 And he will take your banot to be perfumers, and to be tabakhot (cooks) and ofe’ot (bakers).
14 And he will take your fields, and your kramim (vineyards), and your olive groves, even the best of them, and give them to his avadim.
15 And he will take the tenth of your zera, and of your kramim (vines), and give to his officers, and to his avadim.
16 And he will take your avadim, and your shifchot, and your finest bochurim, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your tzon; and ye shall be his avadim.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your melech which ye shall have chosen for you; and Hashem will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Shmuel; and they said, No; but we will have a Melech over us;
20 That we also may be like kol HaGoyim; and that our Melech may judge us, and go out before us, and fight milchamoteinu (our battles).
21 And Shmuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Hashem.
22 And Hashem said to Shmuel, Pay heed unto their voice, and crown them a Melech. And Shmuel said unto the Anshei Yisroel, Go ye back every ish unto his ir (town).
1 Samuel 8
King James Version
1 Samuel 8
King James Version
8 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make 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 unto the Lord.
7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10 And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 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 Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
22 And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
New International Version (NIV) 
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Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
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