| English Standard Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. | 1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. |
| 2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. | 2His firstborn son's name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. |
| 3Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. | 3However, his sons did not walk in his ways--they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice. |
| 4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah | 4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. |
| 5and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” | 5They said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have." |
| 6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. | 6When they said, "Give us a king to judge us," Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the LORD. |
| 7And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. | 7But the LORD told him, "Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king. |
| 8According 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. | 8They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. |
| 9Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” | 9Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them." |
| 10So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him. | 10Samuel told all the LORD's words to the people who were asking him for a king. |
| 11He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. | 11He said, "These are the rights of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots. |
| 12And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. | 12He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. |
| 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. | 13He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. |
| 14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. | 14He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants. |
| 15He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. | 15He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. |
| 16He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. | 16He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys and use them for his work. |
| 17He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. | 17He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. |
| 18And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.” | 18When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you've chosen for yourselves, but the LORD won't answer you on that day." |
| 19But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, | 19The people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We must have a king over us. |
| 20that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” | 20Then we'll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles." |
| 21And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the LORD. | 21Samuel listened to all the people's words and then repeated them to the LORD. |
| 22And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.” | 22"Listen to them," the LORD told Samuel. "Appoint a king for them." Then Samuel told the men of Israel, "Each of you, go back to your city." |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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