¹And it happened, when Samuel was old, that he set his sons as judges for Israel.

²And the name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second Abijah; they were judging in Beer-sheba.

³But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after unjust gain, took a bribe, and bent justice.

⁴And all the elders of Israel gathered together, and came to Samuel to the Ramah.

⁵And they said to him, "Look, you have grown old, and your sons have not walked in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us, like all the nations."

⁶And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to Yahweh.

⁷And Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people, to all that they say to you; for it is not you they have rejected, but me they have rejected from reigning over them."

⁸"Like all the deeds that they have done from the day I brought up them out of Egypt even until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing also to you."

⁹"And now listen to their voice; only, you must solemnly warn them, and tell them the manner of the king who will reign over them."

¹⁰And Samuel said all the words of Yahweh to the people who were asking from him a king.

¹¹And he said, "This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and set them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen, and they will run before his chariot."

¹²"And he will appoint for himself captains of thousands and captains of fifties, and to do his plowing and to reap his harvest, and to make the weapons of his war and the equipment of his chariotry."

¹³"And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers."

¹⁴"And he will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, the best ones, and give them to his slaves."

¹⁵"He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his officials and to his slaves."

¹⁶"And he will take your male slaves and your female slaves and your best young men and your donkeys, and put them to use for his work."

¹⁷"He will take a tenth of your flock, and you yourselves will become his slaves."

¹⁸"And you will cry out in that day from before your king whom you chose for yourselves; and Yahweh will not answer you in that day."

¹⁹But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and said, "No! Rather, a king will be over us."

²⁰"And we too will be like all the nations: our king will judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles."

²¹And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and spoke them in the ears of Yahweh.

²²And Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and make a king for them." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go, each man to his own city."