1 Samuel 8

1. When Sh’mu’el grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Isra’el.

2. His firstborn was named Yo’el, while his second son was named Aviyah; they were judges in Be’er-Sheva.

3. However, his sons did not follow his way of life; they turned off it to pursue riches, so that they would take bribes to distort justice.

4. All the leaders of Isra’el gathered themselves together, approached Sh’mu’el in Ramah

5. and said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your sons are not following your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

6. Sh’mu’el was not pleased to hear them say, “Give us a king to judge us”; so he prayed to Adonai.

7. Adonai said to Sh’mu’el, “Listen to the people, to everything they say to you; for it is not you they are rejecting; they are rejecting me; they don’t want me to be king over them.

8. They are doing to you exactly what they have been doing to me, from the day I brought them out of Egypt until today, by abandoning me and serving other gods.

9. So do what they say, but give them a sober warning, telling them what kinds of rulings their king will make.”

10. Sh’mu’el reported everything Adonai had said to the people asking him for a king.

11. He said, “Here is the kind of rulings your king will make: he will draft your sons and assign them to take care of his chariots, be his horsemen and be bodyguards running ahead of his chariots.

12. He will appoint them to serve him as officers in charge of a thousand or of fifty, plowing his fields, gathering his harvest, and making his weapons and the equipment for his chariots.

13. He will take your daughters and have them be perfume-makers, cooks and bakers.

14. He will expropriate your fields, vineyards and olive groves — the very best of them! — and hand them over to his servants.

15. He will take the ten-percent tax of your crops and vineyards and give it to his officers and servants.

16. He will take your male and female servants, your best young men and your donkeys, and make them work for him.

17. He will take the ten-percent tax of your flocks, and you will become his servants.

18. When that happens, you will cry out on account of your king, whom you yourselves chose. But when that happens, Adonai will not answer you!”

19. However, the people refused to listen to what Sh’mu’el told them, and they said, “No! We want a king over us,

20. so that we can be like all the nations, with our king to judge us, lead us and fight our battles.”

21. Sh’mu’el heard everything the people said and repeated them for Adonai to hear.

22. Adonai said to Sh’mu’el, “Do what they ask, and set up a king for them.” So Sh’mu’el told the men of Isra’el, “Each of you, return to his city.”