1 Samuel 8
8:1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
8:2 Now the name of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beer-sheba.
8:3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah.
8:5 And they 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.'
8:6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said: 'Give us a king to judge us.' And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
8:7 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 be king over them.
8:8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
8:9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice; howbeit thou shalt earnestly forewarn them, and shalt declare unto them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.'
8:10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
8:11 And he said: 'This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them unto him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots.
8:12 And he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.
8:13 And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
8:14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
8:15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
8:16 And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
8:17 He will take the tenth of your flocks; and ye shall be his servants.
8:18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not answer you in that day.'
8:19 But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel; and they said: 'Nay; but there shall be a king over us;
8:20 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.'
8:21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them in the ears of the LORD.
8:22 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.'