| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. | 1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel's leaders. |
| 2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. | 2The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. |
| 3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. | 3But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted 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 came to Samuel at Ramah. |
| 5and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” | 5They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." |
| 6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. | 6But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. |
| 7And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. | 7And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. |
| 8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. | 8As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. |
| 9Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.” | 9Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights." |
| 10So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king. | 10Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. |
| 11And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. | 11He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. |
| 12He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. | 12Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. |
| 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. | 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. |
| 14And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. | 14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. |
| 15He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. | 15He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. |
| 16And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. | 16Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. |
| 17He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. | 17He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. |
| 18And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day.” | 18When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you in that day." |
| 19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, | 19But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want 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 will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." |
| 21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. | 21When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. |
| 22So the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.” | 22The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." Then Samuel said to the Israelites, "Everyone go back to your own town." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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