1 When Samuel had grown old, he set his sons up as judges for Israel.
2 His firstborn was named Joel, and his second son Abijah; they judged at Beersheba.
3 His sons, though, did not follow in his ways. They bent toward profit, accepted bribes, and twisted justice.
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered and came to Samuel at Ramah.
5 They told him, "You have grown old, and your sons do not follow in your ways. Now set over us a king to judge us, as all the nations have."
6 It was displeasing in Samuel's eyes that they said, "Give us a king to judge us," and Samuel prayed to the LORD.
7 The LORD told Samuel, "Listen to what the people are saying to you, all of it; it is not you they have rejected, but me they have rejected as king over them.
8 They are doing to you just what they have always done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until today, abandoning me and serving other gods.
9 So now listen to them; but be sure to give them a solemn warning and tell them the rights of the king who will reign over them."
10 Samuel repeated all the LORD's words to the people who were asking him for a king.
11 He said, "This is what the king who reigns over you will claim as his right: your sons he will take and put them in his chariots and among his horsemen, and they will run in front of his chariot.
12 He will set them up as his officers over thousands and officers over fifties, and have them plow his fields, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and the fittings for his chariots.
13 Your daughters he will take to make perfumes, to cook, and to bake.
14 Your best fields, vineyards and olive groves he will take and hand over to his servants.
15 He will take a tithe of your seed and your vineyards and hand it over to his officials and his servants.
16 Your male and female servants, your finest young men and your donkeys he will take and set to his own work.
17 He will take a tithe of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his slaves.
18 On that day you will cry out because of the king you chose for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you on that day."
19 But the people would not listen to Samuel's voice. "No," they said, "we will have a king over us,
20 so that we too may be like all the nations, with our king judging us and going out ahead of us to fight our battles."
21 Samuel heard everything the people said and repeated it in the LORD's hearing.
22 The LORD told Samuel, "Listen to them and give them a king." Then Samuel told the men of Israel, "Go back, each of you to his own town."