14 “When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, and you (A)possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘(B)I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses, one (C)from among your [a]countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your [b]countryman. 16 (D)Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he (E)cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since (F)the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ 17 (G)He shall not multiply wives for himself, [c]or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.

18 “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll [d](H)in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 It shall be with him and he shall read it (I)all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, [e]by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his [f]countrymen (J)and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 17:15 Lit brother(s)
  2. Deuteronomy 17:15 Lit brother(s)
  3. Deuteronomy 17:17 Lit nor
  4. Deuteronomy 17:18 Lit from before
  5. Deuteronomy 17:19 Lit to keep to do them
  6. Deuteronomy 17:20 Lit brothers

11 He said, “(A)This will be the [a]procedure of the king who will reign over you: (B)he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and (C)they will run before his chariots. 12 (D)He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to [b]do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 (E)He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and [c]use them for his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. 18 Then (F)you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but (G)the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 8:11 Lit custom
  2. 1 Samuel 8:12 Lit plow his plowing
  3. 1 Samuel 8:16 Lit make