⁴So all the elders^w of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.^x ⁵They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king^y to lead^b^z us, such as all the other nations^a have.”

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Footnotes

bTraditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20

Cross references

s 1 Sa 2:12
t Ne 9:29; Job 34:27; Ps 14:3; 58:3; Isa 53:6
u Ex 23:8; 1 Sa 12:3; Job 8:22; Pr 17:23
vSee Ex 23:2
wSee Jdg 11:11; 1 Sa 11:3
xSee 1 Sa 7:17
yver 19; See Dt 17:14–20; 1 Sa 10:19; 12:12, 13; Hos 13:11
z 1 Sa 3:20; 12:2
aver 20

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

However, his sons did not walk in his ways—they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”

NLTNew Living Translation

But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.

Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after gain, they took bribes, and they perverted justice.

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “Look, you are old and your sons do not follow in your ways. So then appoint a king for us to judge us, like all the nations.

KJV 1900King James Version

And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 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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