4
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at
1Ramah
5
and said to him, "Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways.
2Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations."
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But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD.
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And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you,
3for they have not rejected you,
4but they have rejected me from being king over them.
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According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.
9
Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them
5and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them."
Samuel's Warning Against Kings
10 So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him.
11
He said,
6"These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you:
7he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
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And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some
8to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
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He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
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9He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.