1 Samuel 8

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. His firstborn son was named Joel, and his second was named Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. All the elders of Israel gathered and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us, like all the nations.” But it displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as king over them. Just as they have done from the day I brought them up from Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now listen to their voice, but solemnly warn them and tell them how the king who reigns over them will treat them.” Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is how the king who reigns over you will treat you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and his cavalry, and they will run before his chariot. He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and men to plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give it to his officials and his servants. He will take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. On that day you will cry out because of the king you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.” But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s voice. They said, “No! There will be a king over us, so that we too may be like all the nations. Our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.” Samuel heard all the words of the people and repeated them in the ears of the LORD. The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, each man to his own city.”

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