Israel Wants a King
1 Kingdoms 8, verse 1. Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 2. And these were the names of his sons: the firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 3. But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 4. Then all the men of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 5. and said to him, “Look, you have become old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now establish a king for us to judge us like all the rest of the nations.” 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 6. But this was evil in the eyes of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 7. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in whatever they might say to you, for they have not rejected you, but rather they have rejected Me, to bring to naught My reign over them. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 8. In everything they did to Me since the day I brought them up from Egypt, even to this day, they have forsaken Me and have served other gods. So too they are doing this to you. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 9. Now listen to their voice; only you shall testify solemnly to them and announce to them the custom of the king who will reign over them.” 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 10. So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 11. And he said, “This will be the custom of the king who shall reign over you. He will take your sons and put them in his chariots, and among his horsemen, and running before his chariots; 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 12. and for himself, he will appoint them as captains over his thousands, and captains over his hundreds; and to harvest his crop and gather his vintage; and to make his weapons of war and instruments for his chariots. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 13. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 14. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves and give them to his servants. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 15. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage and give it to his eunuchs and servants. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 16. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest cattle, and your donkeys, and take a tenth of them for his work. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 17. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 18. Then in that day you will cry out before your king whom you chose for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in those days, because you chose a king for yourselves.” 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 19. But the people were unwilling to listen to Samuel; and they said to him, “No, rather it is that we want a king to be over us. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 20. Then we will be like all the other nations, and our king will judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 21. And Samuel heard all the words of the people and repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. 1 Kingdoms 8, verse 22. So the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Let every man go to his city.”