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They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons are not walking in your ways. Now appoint a king for us so that he can judge[a] us like all the other nations.” But in Samuel’s eyes, their request to receive a king to judge them looked evil, so Samuel prayed to the Lord.

And the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people regarding everything they have said to you, because it is not you whom they have rejected. I am the one they have rejected as king over them.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 8:5 In the book of Judges, the concept of judging includes other ruling activities besides judicial functions.

They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king(A) to lead[a](B) us, such as all the other nations(C) have.”

But when they said, “Give us a king(D) to lead us,” this displeased(E) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen(F) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,(G) but they have rejected me as their king.(H)

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Footnotes

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