1 Kings 8

¹And it came to pass when Samuel waxed old, he appointed his sons judges over Israel.

²And the name of his first begotten son was Joel: and the name of the second Abia, judges in Bersabee.

³And his sons walked not in his ways: but they declined after avarice, & took bribes, and perverted judgment.

⁴Therefore all the ancients of Israel being assembled, came to Samuel into Ramatha.

⁵And they said to him: Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: appoint us a king, that he may judge us, as also all nations have.

⁶And the word was misliked in the eyes of Samuel, because they had said: Give us a king, that he may judge us. And Samuel prayed to our Lord.

⁷And our Lord said to Samuel: Hear the voice of the people in all things which they speak to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them.

⁸According to all their works, which they have done from the day that I brought them out of Ægypt until this day: as they have forsaken me, and served strange gods, so do they also unto thee.

⁹Now therefore hear their voice: but yet testify to them, and foretell them the right of the king, that shall reign over them.

¹⁰Samuel therefore spake all the words of our Lord to the people which had desired a king of him,

¹¹and said: This shall be the right of the king, that shall reign over you: Your sons he will take, & put in his chariots, and will make them unto him the horsemen, and running footmen before his chariots,

¹²& will appoint them his tribunes, & centurions, & the ploughers of his fields, & mowers of his corn, & makers of his armour and of his chariots.

¹³Your daughters also will he take to make ointments, and to be cooks, and bakers.

¹⁴Your fields also, and vineyards, and the best olivets he will take away, and give to his servants.

¹⁵Yea and your corn also, and the revenues of your vineyards he will tithe, to give his eunuchs & servants.

¹⁶Your servants also and handmaids, and goodliest young men, and asses he will take away and put in his work.

¹⁷Your flocks also will he tithe, you shall be his servants.

¹⁸And you shall cry in that day from the face of the king, which you have chosen you: and our Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king.

¹⁹But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, but said: Not so: for there shall be a king over us,

²⁰and we also will be as all nations: and our king shall judge us, and shall go forth before us, and shall fight our battles for us.

²¹And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and spake them in the ears of our Lord.

²²And our Lord said to Samuel: Hear their voice, and appoint a king over them. And Samuel said to the men of Israel: Let every man go into his city.