| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. | 1As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. |
| 2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. | 2Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. |
| 3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice. | 3But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. |
| 4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. | 4Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. |
| 5“Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.” | 5“Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” |
| 6But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. | 6Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance. |
| 7And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. | 7“Do everything they say to you,” the LORD replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. |
| 8Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. | 8Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. |
| 9Now listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.” | 9Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” Samuel Warns against a Kingdom |
| 10So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. | 10So Samuel passed on the LORD’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king. |
| 11He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his own chariots and horses, to run in front of his chariots. | 11“This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. |
| 12He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, to make his weapons of war, and to equip his chariots. | 12Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. |
| 13And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. | 13The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. |
| 14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants. | 14He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. |
| 15He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants. | 15He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. |
| 16And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle and donkeys and put them to his own use. | 16He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. |
| 17He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. | 17He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. |
| 18When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.” | 18When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the LORD will not help you.” |
| 19Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. | 19But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. |
| 20Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.” | 20“We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” |
| 21Samuel listened to all the words of the people and repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. | 21So Samuel repeated to the LORD what the people had said, |
| 22“Listen to their voice,” the LORD said to Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Everyone must go back to his city.” | 22and the LORD replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home. |
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