# 1 Samuel 8

> Lumin Translation

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/read/1-samuel/8

Lumin’s own translation, drafted with AI from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, checked verse by verse against them, and approved by Lumin. Brackets mark verses not found in the earliest manuscripts.

How it was made: https://www.lumin.faith/lumin-translation.md

1. When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.
2. His firstborn son was named Joel, and his second was named Abijah. They served as judges in Beersheba.
3. But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
5. They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us, like all the nations.”
6. But Samuel was displeased when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to Yahweh.
7. Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the people in everything they say to you. It is not you they have rejected; they have rejected me as their king.
8. They are doing to you just what they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods.
9. Now listen to them; but you must solemnly warn them and let them know the ways of the king who will reign over them.”
10. Samuel told all the words of Yahweh to the people who were asking him for a king.
11. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to work for himself with his chariots and his horsemen, and they will run in front of his chariots.
12. He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his fields and reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots.
13. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants.
15. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officials and his servants.
16. He will take your male and female servants, the best of your young men, and your donkeys, and put them to work for himself.
17. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
18. On that day you will cry out because of the king you have chosen for yourselves, but Yahweh will not answer you on that day.”
19. But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us.
20. Then we will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21. When Samuel had heard all that the people said, he repeated it in the hearing of Yahweh.
22. Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Each of you go back to your own town.”

## Nearby chapters

[1 Samuel 7](https://www.lumin.faith/read/1-samuel/7.md)
[1 Samuel 9](https://www.lumin.faith/read/1-samuel/9.md)

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