¹⁹The people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. ²⁰Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us,^j and fight our battles.”

²¹Samuel listened to all the people’s words and then repeated them to the Lord. ²²“Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.”^k

Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you, go back to your city.”

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Cross references

j Nm 27:17; 1Sm 18:13; 2Ch 1:10
k 1Sm 8:7

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 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.” And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

NLTNew Living Translation

But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

However, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel and they said, “No, but there must be a king over us, so that we also may be like all the nations, and our king may rule us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

Now when Samuel heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of Yahweh. Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel spoke to the men of Israel, “Each of you go to his own town.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; 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. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. 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.

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