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 firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: [they were] judges in Beersheba.
8:3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after money, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah,
8:5 And said to 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 to the LORD.
8:7 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
8:8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to thee.
8:9 Now therefore hearken to their voice: yet protest solemnly to them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
8:10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD to 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] for himself, for his chariots, and [to be] his horsemen; and [some] shall run before his chariots.
8:12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and [will set them] to till his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and 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 male servants, and your female servants, and your most choice young men, and your donkeys, and put [them] to his work.
8:17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
8:18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen for yourselves; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
8:19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have 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 reported them in the ears of the LORD.
8:22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go ye every man to his city.