1 Kun Samuel oli käynyt vanhaksi, pani hän poikansa Israelin tuomareiksi.

2 Hänen esikoisensa nimi oli Jooel, ja hänen toisen poikansa nimi oli Abia; nämä olivat tuomareina Beersebassa.

3 Mutta hänen poikansa eivät vaeltaneet hänen teitänsä, vaan olivat väärän voiton pyytäjiä, ottivat lahjuksia ja vääristivät oikeutta.

4 Niin kaikki Israelin vanhimmat kokoontuivat ja tulivat Samuelin tykö Raamaan

8 Niinkuin he aina siitä päivästä, jona minä johdatin heidät tänne Egyptistä, tähän päivään asti ovat tehneet, kun ovat hyljänneet minut ja palvelleet muita jumalia, aivan niin he tekevät nyt sinullekin.

10 Niin Samuel puhui kaikki Herran sanat kansalle, joka häneltä pyysi kuningasta.

12 Myöskin hän panee heitä tuhannen-ja viidenkymmenenpäämiehiksi ja kyntämään hänen kyntöjänsä ja leikkaamaan hänen viljaansa sekä tekemään hänelle sotatarpeita ja vaunutarpeita.

13 Ja teidän tyttärenne hän ottaa voiteiden tekijöiksi, keittäjiksi ja leipojiksi.

14 Hän ottaa teidän parhaat peltonne, viinitarhanne ja öljypuunne ja antaa ne palvelijoillensa;

15 ja hän ottaa kymmenykset teidän kylvöstänne ja viinitarhojenne sadosta ja antaa ne hoviherroillensa ja palvelijoillensa.

16 Hän ottaa myös teidän palvelijanne ja palvelijattarenne ja parhaat nuoret miehenne sekä aasinne ja teettää niillä työnsä;

17 ja hän ottaa kymmenykset teidän lampaistanne, ja te tulette hänen palvelijoiksensa.

21 Kun Samuel kuuli kaikki kansan puheet, puhui hän ne Herralle.

1 When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. 3 His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah. 5 They said to him, "Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us."

Samuel prayed to Yahweh. 7 Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them. 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they also do to you. 9 Now therefore, listen to their voice. However, you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who will reign over them."

10 Samuel told all Yahweh’s words to the people who asked him for a king. 11 He said, "This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them as his servants, for his chariots and to be his horsemen; and they will run before his chariots. 12 He will appoint them to him for captains of thousands and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest; and to make his instruments of war and the instruments of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, even your best, and give them to his servants. 15 He will take one tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys, and assign them to his own work. 17 He will take one tenth of your flocks; and you will be his servants. 18 You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you will have chosen for yourselves; and Yahweh will not answer you in that day."

19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us, 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."

21 Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Yahweh. 22 Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and make them a king."

Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Everyone go to your own city."