Lexham English Bible

1 Samuel 8:16-22 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

16. He will take your male slaves and your female slaves and the best of your young men and your donkeys and will use them for his projects.

17. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants.

18. So you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but Yahweh will not answer you on that day!”

19. However, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel and they said, “No, but there must be a king over us,

20. so that we also may be like all the nations, and our king may rule us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

21. Now when Samuel heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of Yahweh.

22. Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel spoke to the men of Israel, “Each of you go to his own town.”