1 Samuel 8:10-17

New Catholic Bible

¹⁰ The Rule of a King. Samuel told the people who were asking for a king everything that the Lord had said. ¹¹ He said, “This is what the king who reigns over you will do. He will take away your sons to serve him on his chariots and his horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.^{[a] 12} He will appoint some as commanders of groups of thousands, and others as commanders of groups of fifty. He will set some to plowing his fields and reaping his harvests. Others will make weapons and equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be makers of perfumes and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴ He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves and he will give them to his attendants. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain harvest and the harvest of your vineyards and give it to his officials and his attendants. ¹⁶ He will take your menservants and your maidservants, the best of your cattle and donkeys, and use them for his own work. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you, yourselves, will become his slaves.