| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. | 1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. |
| 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. | 2His firstborn son's name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. |
| 3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. | 3However, his sons did not walk in his ways--they turned toward dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. |
| 4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, | 4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. |
| 5And said unto 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. | 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." |
| 6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. | 6When they said, "Give us a king to judge us," Samuel considered their demand sinful, so he prayed to the LORD. |
| 7And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. | 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. |
| 8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. | 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 therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. | 9Listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and tell them about the rights of the king who will rule over them." |
| 10And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. | 10Samuel told all the LORD's words to the people who were asking him for a king. |
| 11And 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. | 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. |
| 12And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of 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. |
| 13And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. | 13He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. |
| 14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. | 14He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants. |
| 15And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. | 15He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. |
| 16And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to 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 the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. | 17He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. |
| 18And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. | 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." |
| 19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; | 19The people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We must have a king over us. |
| 20That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and 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." |
| 21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. | 21Samuel listened to all the people's words and then repeated them to the LORD. |
| 22And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city. | 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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