| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New Living Translation |
| 1And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. | 1As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. |
| 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. | 2Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. |
| 3His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice. | 3But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. |
| 4Then 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. |
| 5and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the 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 the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD. | 6Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance. |
| 7The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. | 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. |
| 8"Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day-- in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods-- so they are doing to you also. | 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. |
| 9"Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure 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 had asked of him 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 procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before 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. |
| 12"He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for 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. |
| 13"He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. | 13The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. |
| 14"He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your 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. |
| 15"He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. | 15He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. |
| 16"He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. | 16He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. |
| 17"He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. | 17He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. |
| 18"Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in 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 the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, | 19But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. |
| 20that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." | 20“We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” |
| 21Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the LORD'S hearing. | 21So Samuel repeated to the LORD what the people had said, |
| 22The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city." | 22and the LORD replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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