8:1And it came about, when Samuel had grown old, he made his sons judges of Israel. 8:2And the name of his first-born son was Joel: and the name of the second Abijah, judges in Beersheba. 8:3And his sons did not walk in his ways: but they turned aside after greed, and received gifts, and perverted judgment. 8:4So all the elders by birth of Israel, having gathered, came to Samuel in Ramah. 8:5And they said to him: "Look, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways: appoint for us a king, to judge us, just as all the nations too have." 8:6The word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, because they had said: "Give us a king, to judge us."
8:6And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 8:7And the Lord said to Samuel: "Listen to the voice of the people in all the things which they say to you: for they have not rejected you, but me, so that I may not reign over them. 8:8According to all their works which they have done, from the day on which I led them out of Egypt until this day: just as they have forsaken me, and served foreign gods, so they are doing also to you. 8:9Now therefore listen to their voice: but solemnly warn them, and foretell to them the right of the king, who is to reign over them." 8:10So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people, who had asked a king from him.
8:11And he said: "This will be the right of the king who is to rule you: your sons he will take, and place them in his chariots: and he will make for himself horsemen and runners before his four-horse chariots, and he will appoint for himself tribunes, and centurions, and ploughmen of his fields, and reapers of his crops, and makers of his arms and chariots. 8:13Your daughters also he will make for himself perfumers, and cooks, and bakers. 8:14Your fields also, and vineyards, and the best olive-groves he will take, and give to his servants. 8:15And moreover he will take a tenth of your crops and of the produce of your vineyards, to give to his eunuchs and servants.
8:16Your slaves also, and maidservants, and best young men, and asses, he will take away, and put them to his work. 8:17Your flocks also he will take a tenth of, and you will be slaves to him. 8:18And you will cry out on that day before the face of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves: and the Lord will not hear you on that day, because you have asked for yourselves a king." 8:19But the people would not listen to the voice of Samuel, but they said: "By no means: for there will be a king over us, and we too will be like all the nations: and our king will judge us, and will go out before us, and will fight our wars for us."
8:21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and spoke them in the ears of the Lord. 8:22And the Lord said to Samuel: "Listen to their voice, and appoint a king over them." 8:22And Samuel said to the men of Israel: "Let each one go into his city."