| King James Bible | NET Bible |
| 1And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. | 1In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel. |
| 2Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. | 2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beer Sheba. |
| 3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. | 3But his sons did not follow his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice. |
| 4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, | 4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. |
| 5And 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. | 5They said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons don't follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead us, just like all the other nations have." |
| 6But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. | 6But this request displeased Samuel, for they said, "Give us a king to lead us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. |
| 7And 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. | 7The LORD said to Samuel, "Do everything the people request of you. For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. |
| 8According 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. | 8Just as they have done from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you. |
| 9Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. | 9So now do as they say. But seriously warn them and make them aware of the policies of the king who will rule over them." |
| 10And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. | 10So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. |
| 11And 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. | 11He said, "Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot. |
| 12And 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. | 12He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties, as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment. |
| 13And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. | 13He will take your daughters to be ointment makers, cooks, and bakers. |
| 14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. | 14He will take your best fields and vineyards and give them to his own servants. |
| 15And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. | 15He will demand a tenth of your seed and of the produce of your vineyards and give it to his administrators and his servants. |
| 16And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. | 16He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use. |
| 17He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. | 17He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. |
| 18And 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. | 18In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD won't answer you in that day." |
| 19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; | 19But the people refused to heed Samuel's warning. Instead they said, "No! There will be 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. | 20We will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us and fight our battles." |
| 21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. | 21So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the LORD. |
| 22And 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. | 22The LORD said to Samuel, "Do as they say and install a king over them." Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Each of you go back to his own city." |
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