8

以色列人要求立王

1撒母耳年纪老迈,就立他的儿子作以色列的士师。 2他的长子名叫约珥,次子名叫亚比亚;他们在别是巴作士师。 3他的儿子不行他的道,贪图财利,收取贿赂,屈枉正直。
4以色列的长老都聚集在拉玛,来到撒母耳那里, 5对他说:“看哪,你年纪老了,你的儿子又不行你的道。现在请你为我们立一个王治理我们,像列国一样。” 6撒母耳不喜悦他们说“立一个王治理我们”,他就向耶和华祷告。 7耶和华对撒母耳说:“你只管听从百姓向你说的一切话,因为他们不是厌弃你,而是厌弃我,不要我作他们的王。 8自从我领他们出埃及的日子到如今,他们离弃我,事奉别神;正像他们从前所做的一切事,现在他们也照样向你做了。 9现在你只管听从他们的话,不过要严厉警告他们,告诉他们将来王会用什么方式管辖他们。”
10撒母耳将耶和华一切的话转告求他立王的百姓。 11他说:“管辖你们的王必用这样的方式:他必派你们的儿子为他驾车,赶马,在他的战车前奔跑。 12他要为自己立千夫长、五十夫长;耕种他的田地,收割他的庄稼;打造他的兵器和车上的器械。 13他必叫你们的女儿为他制造香膏,作厨师与烤饼的, 14也必取你们最好的田地、葡萄园、橄榄园,赐给他的臣仆。 15你们的粮食和葡萄园所出产的,他必征收十分之一给他的官员和臣仆, 16又必叫你们的仆人婢女,健壮的青年和你们的驴为他做工。 17你们的羊群,他必征收十分之一,你们自己也必作他的仆人。 18那日,你们必因自己所选的王哀求耶和华,但那日耶和华却不应允你们。”
19百姓却不肯听撒母耳的话,说:“不!我们一定要一个王治理我们, 20使我们像列国一样,有王治理我们,率领我们,为我们争战。” 21撒母耳听见百姓这一切话,就禀告给耶和华听。 22耶和华对撒母耳说:“你只管听从他们的话,为他们立一个王。”撒母耳以色列人说:“去,你们各归各城吧!”

8

Israel Demands a King

1Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5and said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. 9Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
10So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. 11And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. 12He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. 15He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. 16And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. 18And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lordwill not hear you in that day.”
19Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, 20that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. 22So the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.”
 And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”