WEB

1 Samuel 8

Samuel grows old and appoints his sons Joel and Abijah as judges in Beersheba — but they take bribes and pervert justice. So the elders gather at Ramah and demand a king "like all the nations." The request stings Samuel, but the LORD tells him the people are rejecting not him but God himself. Watch the speech Samuel is told to deliver: a blunt catalogue of what a king will take — sons, daughters, fields, a tenth of everything — and yet the people still insist.

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1 Samuel 8 (WEB)

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 the LORD.
7
The LORD 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 the LORD’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 the LORD 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 the LORD.
22
The LORD 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.”

1 Samuel 8 (WPB)

1
Quando Samuel envelheceu, ele nomeou os seus filhos como juízes sobre Israel.
2
O nome do seu primogênito era Joel, e o nome do seu segundo filho, Abias. Eles eram juízes em Berseba.
3
Os seus filhos não andaram nos caminhos dele, mas se desviaram em busca de lucro desonesto, aceitaram subornos e perverteram a justiça.
4
Então todos os líderes de Israel se reuniram e foram a Samuel em Ramá.
5
E lhe disseram: “Eis que você está velho, e os seus filhos não andam nos seus caminhos. Agora, constitua-nos um rei para nos julgar, como têm todas as nações.”
6
Mas o pedido desagradou a Samuel, quando disseram: “Dê-nos um rei para nos julgar.” Então Samuel orou ao SENHOR.
7
O SENHOR disse a Samuel: “Dê ouvidos à voz do povo em tudo o que lhe dizem; pois não rejeitaram a você, mas rejeitaram a mim como o seu rei.
8
Conforme todas as obras que têm feito desde o dia em que os tirei do Egito até o dia de hoje, abandonando-me e servindo a outros deuses, assim também estão fazendo com você.
9
Agora, portanto, atenda ao pedido deles. Contudo, você deve adverti-los solenemente e mostrar-lhes os direitos do rei que reinará sobre eles.”
10
Samuel relatou todas as palavras do SENHOR ao povo que lhe pedia um rei.
11
Ele disse: “Estes serão os direitos do rei que reinará sobre vocês: ele tomará os seus filhos e os designará como seus servos, para os seus carros de guerra e para serem os seus cavaleiros; e eles correrão à frente dos seus carros.
12
Ele os nomeará como comandantes de milhares e comandantes de cinquenta; e designará alguns para arar as suas terras e colher as suas safras, e para fabricar as suas armas de guerra e os equipamentos dos seus carros.
13
Ele tomará as suas filhas para serem perfumistas, cozinheiras e padeiras.
14
Ele tomará os melhores dos seus campos, das suas vinhas e dos seus olivais, e os dará aos seus oficiais.
15
Ele tomará o dízimo das suas sementes e das suas vinhas, e o dará aos seus eunucos e aos seus oficiais.
16
Ele tomará os seus servos, as suas servas, os seus melhores jovens e os seus jumentos, e os empregará no seu próprio trabalho.
17
Ele tomará o dízimo dos seus rebanhos; e vocês mesmos se tornarão escravos dele.
18
Naquele dia, vocês clamarão por causa do rei que vocês escolheram para si; mas o SENHOR não os ouvirá naquele dia.”
19
Mas o povo se recusou a ouvir a voz de Samuel, e disseram: “Não! Nós queremos ter um rei sobre nós,
20
para que sejamos como todas as nações; e para que o nosso rei nos julgue, saia à nossa frente e combata nas nossas batalhas.”
21
Samuel ouviu todas as palavras do povo e as repetiu aos ouvidos do SENHOR.
22
O SENHOR disse a Samuel: “Dê ouvidos à voz deles e constitua-lhes um rei.” Então Samuel disse aos homens de Israel: “Vá cada um para a sua cidade.”

"The way of the king": a warning, not a job description

Samuel's listing in verses 11-18 hammers one verb — "he will take": sons for chariots, daughters for kitchens, the best fields and vineyards, a tenth of the harvest, until "you will be his servants." Monarchy is framed from the start as a system of extraction.

The grim climax is verse 18: "the LORD will not answer you in that day." The very deliverance Samuel just secured at Mizpah in chapter 7 is what the people are trading away. Their refrain — to be "like all the nations" — undoes Israel's whole claim to be different.

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