English Standard Version

1 Samuel 8:16-22 English Standard Version (ESV)

16. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.

17. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.

18. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

19. But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be 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. And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord.

22. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”