The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
New International Version NIV
4 All the leaders of Isra'el gathered themselves together, approached Sh'mu'el in Ramah
4
So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
5 and said to him, "Look, you have grown old, and your sons are not following your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."
5
They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
6 Sh'mu'el was not pleased to hear them say, "Give us a king to judge us"; so he prayed to ADONAI.
6
But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.
7 ADONAI said to Sh'mu'el, "Listen to the people, to everything they say to you; for it is not you they are rejecting; they are rejecting me; they don't want me to be king over them.
7
And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
8 They are doing to you exactly what they have been doing to me, from the day I brought them out of Egypt until today, by abandoning me and serving other gods.
8
As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.
9 So do what they say, but give them a sober warning, telling them what kinds of rulings their king will make."
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Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”
10 Sh'mu'el reported everything ADONAI had said to the people asking him for a king.
10
Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king.
11 He said, "Here is the kind of rulings your king will make: he will draft your sons and assign them to take care of his chariots, be his horsemen and be bodyguards running ahead of his chariots.
11
He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.
12 He will appoint them to serve him as officers in charge of a thousand or of fifty, plowing his fields, gathering his harvest, and making his weapons and the equipment for his chariots.
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Some he will assign to be commanders 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.
13 He will take your daughters and have them be perfume-makers, cooks and bakers.
13
He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 He will expropriate your fields, vineyards and olive groves - the very best of them! - and hand them over to his servants.
14
He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.