| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons judges over Israel. | 1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. |
| 2The name of his firstborn son was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. | 2His firstborn son's name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. |
| 3His sons did not follow Samuel's example. Instead, they pursued dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. | 3However, his sons did not walk in his ways--they turned toward dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. |
| 4All the elders of Israel gathered together, and came to Samuel at Ramah. | 4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. |
| 5They told him, "Look, you're old, and your sons don't follow your example. So appoint a king to govern us like all the other nations." | 5They said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not follow your example. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have." |
| 6Samuel was displeased when they said, "Give us a king to govern us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. | 6When they said, "Give us a king to judge us," Samuel considered their demand sinful, so he prayed to the LORD. |
| 7The LORD told Samuel, "Listen to the people in all that they say to you. In fact, it's not you they have rejected, but rather they have rejected me from being their king. | 7But the LORD told him, "Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected Me as their king. |
| 8Like all the things they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this very day, they have forsaken me and followed other gods. They're also doing the same thing to you. | 8They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to Me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning Me and worshiping other gods. |
| 9Now, listen to them, but you are to clearly warn them and inform them about how the king who rules over them will operate." | 9Listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and tell them about the rights of the king who will rule over them." |
| 10Samuel reported everything the LORD told him to the people who were asking him for a king. | 10Samuel told all the LORD's words to the people who were asking him for a king. |
| 11He said, "This is how the king who rules over you will operate: He will conscript your sons and assign them to his chariots. He will conscript them as his horsemen, and they'll run in front of his chariots. | 11He said, "These are the rights of the king who will rule over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots. |
| 12He will appoint his officers over thousands and officers over fifties—some will plow his fields, reap his harvest, and craft his war implements and equipment for his chariots. | 12He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground or reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war or the equipment for his chariots. |
| 13He will take your daughters for perfumers, cooks, and bakers. | 13He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. |
| 14He will take the best products of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves and give them to his servants. | 14He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants. |
| 15He will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his officers and servants. | 15He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. |
| 16He will take your male and female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys to do his work. | 16He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys and use them for his work. |
| 17He will take a tenth of your flock, and you will become his servants. | 17He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. |
| 18When all of this comes about, you will cry out because of your king whom you chose for yourselves, but the LORD won't answer you at that time." | 18When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you've chosen for yourselves, but the LORD won't answer you on that day." |
| 19The people refused to listen to Samuel. Instead, they insisted, "No! Let a king rule over us instead! | 19The people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We must have a king over us. |
| 20We, too, will be like all the nations! Our king will govern us and go out before us to fight our battles." | 20Then we'll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles." |
| 21So Samuel listened to all the words of the people, and he repeated them directly to the LORD. | 21Samuel listened to all the people's words and then repeated them to the LORD. |
| 22The LORD told Samuel, "Listen to them, and appoint a king for them." Then Samuel told the men of Israel, "Each of you go to his own town." | 22"Listen to them," the LORD told Samuel. "Appoint a king for them." Then Samuel told the men of Israel, "Each of you, go back to your city." |
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