King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
1
When Samuel grew old, he made his sons judges in Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.
2
The older son was named Joel and the younger one Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
3
But they did not follow their father's example; they were interested only in making money, so they accepted bribes and did not decide cases honestly.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
4
Then all the leaders of Israel met together, went to Samuel in Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
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and said to him, "Look, you are getting old and your sons don't follow your example. So then, appoint a king to rule over us, so that we will have a king, as other countries have."
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
6
Samuel was displeased with their request for a king; so he prayed to the Lord,
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
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and the Lord said, "Listen to everything the people say to you. You are not the one they have rejected; I am the one they have rejected as their king.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
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Ever since I brought them out of Egypt, they have turned away from me and worshiped other gods; and now they are doing to you what they have always done to me.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
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So then, listen to them, but give them strict warnings and explain how their kings will treat them."
10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
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Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything that the Lord had said to him.
11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
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"This is how your king will treat you," Samuel explained. "He will make soldiers of your sons; some of them will serve in his war chariots, others in his cavalry, and others will run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
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He will make some of them officers in charge of a thousand men, and others in charge of fifty men. Your sons will have to plow his fields, harvest his crops, and make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
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Your daughters will have to make perfumes for him and work as his cooks and his bakers.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
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He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials.
15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
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He will take a tenth of your grain and of your grapes for his court officers and other officials.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
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He will take your servants and your best cattle and donkeys, and make them work for him.
17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
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He will take a tenth of your flocks. And you yourselves will become his slaves.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
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When that time comes, you will complain bitterly because of your king, whom you yourselves chose, but the Lord will not listen to your complaints."
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
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The people paid no attention to Samuel, but said, "No! We want a king,
20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
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so that we will be like other nations, with our own king to rule us and to lead us out to war and to fight our battles."
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
21
Samuel listened to everything they said and then went and told it to the Lord.
22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
22
The Lord answered, "Do what they want and give them a king." Then Samuel told all the men of Israel to go back home.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.