1 Samuel 8:1–10

*And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he amade his bsons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was ||Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in cBeer-sheba. 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside dafter lucre, and etook bribes, and perverted judgment. 4 *Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto fRamah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now gmake us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing †displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. 7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for hthey have not rejected thee, but ithey have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 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. 9 Now therefore ||hearken unto their voice: ||howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and jshew 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.