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Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah(A) and said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.”(B) But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord,(C) and the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.(D) Just as they have done to me[a] from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only, you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”(E)

10 So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots,(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 8.8 Gk: Heb lacks to me

So all the elders(A) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.(B) They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king(C) to lead[a](D) us, such as all the other nations(E) have.”

But when they said, “Give us a king(F) to lead us,” this displeased(G) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen(H) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,(I) but they have rejected me as their king.(J) As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking(K) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know(L) what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

10 Samuel told(M) all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take(N) your sons and make them serve(O) with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 8:5 Traditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,

And 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.

But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.

And 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.

According 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.

Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10 And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.

11 And 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.

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