| New King James Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now 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. |
| 2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. | 2His firstborn son's name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. |
| 3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. | 3However, his sons did not walk in his ways--they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice. |
| 4Then all 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. |
| 5and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your 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 walk in your ways. 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.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. | 6When they said, "Give us a king to judge us," Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the LORD. |
| 7And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, 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 to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. | 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, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.” | 9Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them." |
| 10So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for 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 behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. | 11He said, "These are the rights of the king who will reign 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 captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. | 12He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. |
| 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. | 13He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. |
| 14And he will take the best 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 grain and your vintage, 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. |
| 16And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, 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 a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. | 17He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. |
| 18And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, 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, “No, 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 repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. | 21Samuel listened to all the people's words and then repeated them to the LORD. |
| 22So the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to 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." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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