| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. | 1As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. |
| 2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. | 2Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. |
| 3Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. | 3But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. |
| 4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah | 4Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. |
| 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.” | 5“Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like 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. | 6Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance. |
| 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. | 7“Do everything they say to you,” the LORD replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. |
| 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. | 8Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. |
| 9Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” | 9Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” Samuel Warns against a Kingdom |
| 10So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him. | 10So Samuel passed on the LORD’s warning 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. | 11“This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before 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. | 12Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. |
| 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. | 13The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. |
| 14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. | 14He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. |
| 15He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. | 15He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. |
| 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 will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. |
| 17He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. | 17He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. |
| 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 beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the LORD will not help you.” |
| 19But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, | 19But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. |
| 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.” | 20“We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” |
| 21And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the LORD. | 21So Samuel repeated to the LORD what the people had said, |
| 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.” | 22and the LORD replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home. |
| 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. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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