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1 | And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his
sons judges over Israel. |
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2 | Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his
second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. |
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3 | And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after
lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. |
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4 | Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together,
and came to Samuel unto Ramah, |
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5 | 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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6 | But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a
king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. |
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7 | And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the
people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not
rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not
reign over them. |
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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. |
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9 | Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest
solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that
shall reign over them. |
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10 | And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that
asked of him a king. |
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11 | And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall
reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for
himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some
shall run before his chariots. |
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12 | And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains
over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap
his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and
instruments of his chariots. |
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13 | And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to
be cooks, and to be bakers. |
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14 | And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your
oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his
servants. |
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15 | And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your
vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. |
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16 | And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and
your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his
work. |
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17 | He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his
servants. |
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18 | And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye
shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that
day. |
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19 | Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel;
and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; |
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20 | 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. |
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21 | And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed
them in the ears of the LORD. |
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22 | 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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