8As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.H8050H2204H7760H1121H8199H34782Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba.H8034H1121H1060H3100H8034H4932H29H8199H8843But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.H1121H1980H1870H5186H310H1215H3947H7810H5186H49414Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.H2205H3478H6908H935H8050H74145"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."H559H2204H1121H1980H1870H7760H4428H8199H14716Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance.H1697H3415H5869H8050H559H5414H4428H8199H8050H6419H30687"Do everything they say to you," the LORD replied, "for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer.H3068H559H8050H8085H6963H5971H559H3988H3988H44278Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.H4639H6213H3117H5927H4714H3117H5800H5647H312H430H62139Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them."H8085H6963H389H5749H5749H5046H4941H4428H4427
Samuel Warns against a Kingdom
10So Samuel passed on the LORD's warning to the people who were asking him for a king.H8050H559H1697H3068H5971H7592H442811"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.H559H4941H4428H4427H3947H1121H7760H4818H6571H7323H6440H481812Some 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.H7760H8269H505H8269H2572H2790H2758H7114H7105H6213H3627H4421H3627H739313The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him.H3947H1323H7548H2879H64414He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials.H3947H7704H3754H2132H2896H5414H565015He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants.H6237H2233H3754H5414H5631H565016He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use.H3947H5650H8198H2896H970H2543H6213H439917He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.H6237H6629H565018When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the LORD will not help you."H2199H3117H6440H4428H977H3068H6030H311719But the people refused to listen to Samuel's warning. "Even so, we still want a king," they said.H5971H3985H8085H6963H8050H559H442820"We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle."H1471H4428H8199H3318H6440H3898H442121So Samuel repeated to the LORD what the people had said,H8050H8085H1697H5971H1696H241H306822and the LORD replied, "Do as they say, and give them a king." Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.H3068H559H8050H8085H6963H4427H4428H8050H559H582H3478H3212H376H5892
Dublin, OH
, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.H7760
