1 Samuel 7:15-8:7

English Standard Version

^15 (A)Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶ And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. ¹⁷ Then he would return to ^(B)Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. ^(C)And he built there an altar to the Lord.

Israel Demands a King

8 When Samuel became old, ^(D)he made his sons judges over Israel. ² The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. ³ Yet his sons did not walk in his ways ^(E)but turned aside after gain. ^(F)They took bribes and perverted justice.

⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at ^(G)Ramah ⁵ and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. ^(H)Now appoint for 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.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, ^(I)for they have not rejected you, ^(J)but they have rejected me from being king over them.