1 Samuel 8
EasyEnglish Bible
The Israelites ask for a king
8 When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges for the Israelites.[a] 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel. The name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba town. 3 But Samuel's sons did not live in a good way, as Samuel had done. They took money from people in ways that were not honest. They accepted bribes so that they did not judge in a fair way.
4 So all of Israel's leaders went together to meet Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, ‘You are old. Your sons do not live in the way that you have done. All the other nations have kings to lead them. So choose a king to rule over us, like they have.’
6 When Israel's leaders said, ‘Choose a king who will lead us,’ Samuel was not happy. So he prayed to the Lord. 7 The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to everything that the people are saying to you. I myself should be their king. So it is not you that they refuse to accept. It is me that they do not accept to be their king. 8 They are doing what they have always done. Since I brought them out of Egypt they have continued to turn away from me. They have chosen to serve other gods. Now they are turning against you in the same way. 9 So do what they are asking you to do. But warn them about what will happen. Tell them how their kings will rule over them.’
10 Samuel spoke to the people who had asked him to give them a king. He told them everything that the Lord had said to him. 11 Samuel said to them, ‘This is how the king will rule over you: He will take your sons to be his soldiers. They will ride his horses and they will drive his chariots. They will have to run in front of his own chariot. 12 The king will choose some of your sons to be officers in his army. Some will be leaders of 1,000 soldiers. Others will be leaders of 50 soldiers. Some of your sons will have to plough the king's fields. They will have to cut his crops at harvest time. They will have to make weapons for the king to fight wars. They will have to fix his chariots. 13 The king will take your daughters to serve him. They will have to make perfume for him. They will also have to cook and bake bread for him. 14 The king will take your best fields, vines and olive trees away from you. He will give all these to his own officers. 15 He will take a tenth part of all your seeds and grapes. He will give them to his officers and servants. 16 He will take your male and female servants for himself. He will take your best cows and your donkeys. He will use them for his own work. 17 He will take a tenth of all your sheep and your goats. You yourselves will become his servants too. 18 Then you will complain loudly to the Lord about your king that you have chosen to lead you. But the Lord will not answer you when you do that.’
19 But the people would not listen to Samuel. They said, ‘No! We want a king to rule us. 20 We want to be like all the other nations! We want a king to rule us. He will be our leader when we go to fight our enemies.’
21 Samuel listened to everything that the people said. Then he told the Lord about it all. 22 The Lord said to Samuel, ‘You must do what they want. You must give a king to them.’
Then Samuel told Israel's people, ‘Return to your own towns, each of you.’
Footnotes
- 8:1 At least 20 years had passed since the battle at Mizpah in chapter 7.
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.
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