1: And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made
his sons judges over Israel. |
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2: Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his
second, Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba. |
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3:
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after
lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. |
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4: Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together,
and came to Samuel unto Ramah, |
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5: 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. |
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6: But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a
king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. |
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7: 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. |
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8: 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.
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9: 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. |
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10: And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people
that asked of him a king. |
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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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12: And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains
over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his
harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his
chariots. |
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13: And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to
be cooks, and to be bakers. |
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14: And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your
oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. |
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15: And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your
vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. |
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16: And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and
your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
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17: He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his
servants. |
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18: And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which
ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
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19: Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel;
and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; |
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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. |
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21: And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he
rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. |
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22: And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and
make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every
man unto his city. |