Israel Demands a King
(Deuteronomy 17:14–20)

1When Samuel was old, he made his sonnes iudges ouer Israel. 2The name of his eldest sonne was Ioel, and the name of the seconde Abia, and they were iudges in Beerseba. 3And his sonnes walked not in his wayes, but turned aside after lucre, and tooke rewarde, and peruerted the ryght.

4Then all the elders of Israel gathered them together, and came to Samuel vnto Rama, 5And sayd vnto him: Beholde, thou art olde, and thy sonnes walke not in thy wayes: Now therfore make vs a king to iudge vs, as all other nations haue 6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, geue vs a king to iudge vs: And Samuel prayed vnto the lorde. 7And the Lorde saide vnto Samuel, Heare the voyce of the people in all that they say vnto thee: For they haue not cast thee away, but they haue cast me away, that I should not raigne ouer them. 8And as they haue euer done sence I brought them out of Egypt vnto this day, and haue forsaken me, and serued other gods, euen so do they vnto thee. 9Now therefore hearken vnto their voyce: howbeit yet testifie vnto them, & shewe them the maner of the king that shall raigne ouer them.

Samuel’s Warning

10And Samuel tolde all the wordes of the Lorde vnto the people that asked a king of him, 11And he said: This shal be the maner of the king that shall raigne ouer you, he will take your sonnes and put them to his charets, and make his horsemen of them, to run before his charet. 12And will make him of the captaines ouer thousandes and ouer fifties, and will set them to eare his grounde, and to gather in his haruest, & to make instrumentes of warre, and thinges that serue for his charets. 13And he will take your daughters, and make them appoticaries, cookes, and bakers. 14And he shall take your fieldes, and your vineyardes, and your best oliue trees, and geue them to his seruauntes. 15And he shall take the tenth of your seede, and of your vineyardes, and geue it to his eunuches, & to his seruauntes. 16And he shal take your men seruauntes, and maide seruauntes, young men, and the chiefe of your asses, and put them to his worke. 17And he shall take the tenth of your sheepe, and ye shall be his seruauntes. 18And ye shall crie out at that time, because of your king whiche ye shall haue chosen you, & the Lorde wil not heare you at that day.

God Grants the Request

19Neuerthelesse, the people woulde not heare the voyce of Samuel, but did say, Nay, not so: But there shalbe a king ouer vs, 20That we may be lyke other nations, and that our king may iudge vs, and go out before vs, and fight our battailes. 21Therfore when Samuel hearde all the wordes of the people, he rehearsed them in the eares of the Lord. 22And the Lord sayd to Samuel: Hearken vnto their voyce, and make them a king. And Samuel said vnto the men of Israel: Go euery man vnto his citie.