# 1 Samuel 8 (New King James Version)
Israel Demands a King

##### Chapter 8
###### 1 Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.  
###### 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; _they were_ judges in Beersheba.  
###### 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

###### 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,  
###### 5 and 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."

###### 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the Lord.  
###### 7 And 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.  
###### 8 According 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.  
###### 9 Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them."

###### 10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king.  
###### 11 And 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.  
###### 12 He 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.  
###### 13 He will take your daughters _to be_ perfumers, cooks, and bakers.  
###### 14 And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give _them_ to his servants.  
###### 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants.  
###### 16 And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put _them_ to his work.  
###### 17 He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.  
###### 18 And 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."

###### 19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us,  
###### 20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."

###### 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord.  
###### 22 So 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."