Bible Gateway passage: 1 Samuel 8 - New International Version (2024)

Israel Asks for a King

8When Samuel grew old, he appointed^(A) his sons as Israel’s leaders.^{[a] 2}The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah,^(B) and they served at Beersheba.^{(C) 3}But his sons^(D) did not follow his ways. They turned aside^(E) after dishonest gain and accepted bribes^(F) and perverted^(G) justice.

⁴So all the elders^(H) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.^{(I) 5}They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king^(J) to lead^[b](K) us, such as all the other nations^(L) have.”

⁶But when they said, “Give us a king^(M) to lead us,” this displeased^(N) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷And the Lord told him: “Listen^(O) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,^(P) but they have rejected me as their king.^{(Q) 8}As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking^(R) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know^(S) what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

¹⁰Samuel told^(T) all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take^(U) your sons and make them serve^(V) with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.^{(W) 12}Some he will assign to be commanders^(X) of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴He will take the best of your^(Y) fields and vineyards^(Z) and olive groves and give them to his attendants.^{(AA) 15}He will take a tenth^(AB) of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle^[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer^(AC) you in that day.^(AD)”

¹⁹But the people refused^(AE) to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want^(AF) a king^(AG) over us. ²⁰Then we will be like all the other nations,^(AH) with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated^(AI) it before the Lord. ²²The Lord answered, “Listen^(AJ) to them and give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

Footnotes

1. 1 Samuel 8:1 Traditionally judges
2. 1 Samuel 8:5 Traditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20
3. 1 Samuel 8:16 Septuagint; Hebrew young men

Cross references

1. 1 Samuel 8:1 : Dt 16:18-19
2. 1 Samuel 8:2 : 1Ch 6:28
3. 1 Samuel 8:2 : Ge 22:19; 1Ki 19:3; Am 5:4-5
4. 1 Samuel 8:3 : 1Sa 2:12
5. 1 Samuel 8:3 : Ne 9:29; Job 34:27; Ps 14:3; 58:3; Isa 53:6
6. 1 Samuel 8:3 : Ex 23:8; 1Sa 12:3; Job 8:22; Pr 17:23
7. 1 Samuel 8:3 : S Ex 23:2
8. 1 Samuel 8:4 : S Jdg 11:11; 1Sa 11:3
9. 1 Samuel 8:4 : S 1Sa 7:17
10. 1 Samuel 8:5 : ver 19; S Dt 17:14-20; 1Sa 10:19; 12:12, 13; Hos 13:11
11. 1 Samuel 8:5 : 1Sa 3:20; 12:2
12. 1 Samuel 8:5 : ver 20
13. 1 Samuel 8:6 : Hos 13:10
14. 1 Samuel 8:6 : 1Sa 12:17; 15:11; 16:1
15. 1 Samuel 8:7 : ver 22; 1Sa 12:1
16. 1 Samuel 8:7 : S Nu 11:20
17. 1 Samuel 8:7 : S Ex 16:8
18. 1 Samuel 8:8 : 1Sa 12:10; 2Ki 21:22; Jer 2:17
19. 1 Samuel 8:9 : ver 11-18; S Dt 17:14-20; 1Sa 10:25
20. 1 Samuel 8:10 : S Ex 19:7
21. 1 Samuel 8:11 : 1Sa 14:52
22. 1 Samuel 8:11 : S Ge 41:46
23. 1 Samuel 8:11 : S Dt 17:16; 2Sa 15:1; 1Ki 1:5; 2Ch 1:14; 9:25; SS 3:7
24. 1 Samuel 8:12 : S Dt 1:15
25. 1 Samuel 8:14 : Eze 46:18
26. 1 Samuel 8:14 : 1Ki 21:7, 15; Mic 2:2
27. 1 Samuel 8:14 : 2Ki 22:12
28. 1 Samuel 8:15 : S Ge 41:34; 1Sa 17:25
29. 1 Samuel 8:18 : 1Sa 28:6; Job 27:9; 35:12, 13; Ps 18:41; 66:18; Pr 1:28; Isa 1:15; 58:4; 59:2; Jer 14:12; Eze 8:18; Mic 3:4
30. 1 Samuel 8:18 : 1Sa 10:25; 1Ki 12:4
31. 1 Samuel 8:19 : Pr 1:24; Isa 50:2; 66:4; Jer 7:13; 8:12; 13:10; 44:16
32. 1 Samuel 8:19 : Ac 13:21
33. 1 Samuel 8:19 : S ver 5
34. 1 Samuel 8:20 : S ver 5
35. 1 Samuel 8:21 : S Jdg 11:11
36. 1 Samuel 8:22 : S ver 7