1 Samuel 8:5

Easy-to-Read Version

The elders said to Samuel, "You're old, and your sons don't live right. They are not like you. Now, give us a king to rule us like all the other nations."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”

Hebrew Names Version
and 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.

King James Version
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

Lexham English Bible
They said to him, "Look, you are old and your sons do not follow in your ways. So then appoint a king for us to judge us, like all the nations.

English Standard Version
and said to him, "Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations."

New Century Version
They said to him, "You're old, and your sons don't live as you do. Give us a king to rule over us like all the other nations."

New English Translation
They said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons don't follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead us, just like all the other nations have."

Amplified Bible
and said to him, "Look, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us [and rule over us] like all the other nations."

New American Standard Bible
and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us like all the nations."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And said vnto him, Beholde, thou art olde, and thy sonnes walke not in thy wayes: make vs nowe a King to iudge vs like all nations.

Legacy Standard Bible
and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations."

Contemporary English Version
and said, "You are an old man. You set a good example for your sons, but they haven't followed it. Now we want a king to be our leader, just like all the other nations. Choose one for us!"

Complete Jewish Bible
and said to him, "Look, you have grown old, and your sons are not following your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

Darby Translation
and said to him, Behold, thou art become old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now appoint us a king to judge us, like all the nations.

George Lamsa Translation
And they said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now give us a king to judge us like all the nations.

Good News Translation
and said to him, "Look, you are getting old and your sons don't follow your example. So then, appoint a king to rule over us, so that we will have a king, as other countries have."

Literal Translation
And they said to him, Behold, you have become old, and your sons have not walked in your ways. Now appoint a king to us, to judge us, like all the nations.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& saide vnto him: Beholde, thou art waxen olde, & thy sonnes walke not in yi wayes, set a kynge now ouer vs therfore, to iudge vs, as all ye Heithe haue.

American Standard Version
and they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

Bible in Basic English
And said to him, See now, you are old, and your sons do not go in your ways: give us a king now to be our judge, so that we may be like the other nations.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And sayd vnto him: Beholde, thou art olde, and thy sonnes walke not in thy wayes: Now therfore make vs a king to iudge vs, as all other nations [haue]

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they said unto him: 'Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways; now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.'

King James Version (1611)
And said vnto him, Behold, thou art olde, and thy sonnes walke not in thy wayes: now make vs a King to iudge vs, like all the nations.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and they said to him, Behold, thou art grown old, and thy sons walk not in thy way; and now set over us a king to judge us, as also the other nations have.

English Revised Version
and they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

Berean Standard Bible
"Look," they said, "you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei seiden to hym, Lo! thou hast wexid eld, and thi sones goen not in thi weies; ordeyne thou a kyng to vs, `that he deme vs, as also alle naciouns han.

Young's Literal Translation
and say unto him, `Lo, thou hast become aged, and thy sons have not walked in thy ways; now, appoint to us a king, to judge us, like all the nations.'

Update Bible Version
and they said to him, Look, you are old, and your sons don't walk in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

Webster's Bible Translation
And said to him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

World English Bible
and 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.

New King James Version
and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

New Living Translation
"Look," they told him, "you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have."

New Life Bible
They said to him, "See, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Choose a king to rule over us like all the nations."

New Revised Standard
and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and said unto him - Lo! thou, art old, and, thy sons, walk not in thy ways: Now, appoint for us a king to judge us, like all the nations.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said to him: Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: make us a king, to judge us, as all nations have.

Revised Standard Version
and said to him, "Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint for us a king to govern us like all the nations."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations."

Contextual Overview

⁴ So all the elders of Israel met together and went to Ramah to meet with Samuel. ⁵ The elders said to Samuel, "You're old, and your sons don't live right. They are not like you. Now, give us a king to rule us like all the other nations." ⁶ So the elders asked for a king to lead them. Samuel thought this was a bad idea, so he prayed to the Lord . ⁷ The Lord told Samuel, "Do what the people tell you. They have not rejected you. They have rejected me. They don't want me to be their king. ⁸ They are doing the same thing they have always done. I took them out of Egypt, but they left me and served other gods. They are doing the same to you. ⁹ So listen to the people and do what they say. But give them a warning. Tell the people what a king will do to them. Tell them how a king rules people." ¹⁰ Those people asked for a king. So Samuel told them everything the Lord said. ¹¹ Samuel said, "If you have a king ruling over you, this is what he will do: He will take away your sons and force them to serve him. He will force them to be soldiers—they must fight from his chariots and become horse soldiers in his army. Your sons will become guards running in front of the king's chariot. ¹² "A king will force your sons to become soldiers. He will choose which of your sons will be officers over 1000 men and which will be officers over 50 men. "A king will force some of your sons to plow his fields and gather his harvest. He will force some of your sons to make weapons for war and to make things for his chariots. ¹³ "A king will take your daughters and force some of them to make perfume for him and some to cook and bake for him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

now make: 1 Samuel 8:6-8, 1 Samuel 8:19, 1 Samuel 8:20, 1 Samuel 12:17, Numbers 23:9, Deuteronomy 17:14, Deuteronomy 17:15, Hosea 13:10, Hosea 13:11, Acts 13:21

Reciprocal: Numbers 22:20 - If the men Judges 2:17 - they would Judges 8:22 - Rule thou 1 Samuel 9:20 - on whom 1 Samuel 12:2 - I am old 1 Samuel 12:12 - Nay 1 Samuel 12:13 - whom ye Proverbs 24:21 - meddle Ezekiel 20:32 - We will Micah 5:1 - judge

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
On the 17th day of the second month, when Noah was 600 years old, the springs under the earth broke through the ground, and water flowed out everywhere. The sky also opened like windows and rain poured down. The rain fell on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. That same day Noah went into the boat with his wife, his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And said unto him, behold, thou art old,.... See 1 Samuel 8:1, his age was no reproach to him, nor was it becoming them to upbraid him with it; nor was it a reason why he should be removed from his office, for it did not disqualify him for it; but rather, having gained by age experience, was more fit for it, though he might not be able to ride his circuits as formerly:

and thy sons walk not in thy ways; whom he had made judges; this is a better reason than the former for what is after requested; and had they only besought them to remove him from their places, and rested content with that, it would have been well enough; but what they were solicitous for, and always had an inclination to, and now thought a proper opportunity offered of obtaining it, was what follows:

now make us a king to judge us like all the nations; to rule over them as sole monarch; to go before them in battle as their genera], as well as to administer justice to them, by hearing and trying causes as their judge; which only they mention to cover their views, and make their motion more acceptable to Samuel; what they were desirous of was to have a king appearing in pomp and splendour, wearing a crown of gold, clothed in royal apparel, with a sceptre in his hand, dwelling in a stately palace, keeping a splendid court, and attended with a grand retinue, as the rest of the nations about them had had for a long time. The first kings we read of were in the times of Abraham, but after it became common for nations to have kings over them, and particularly the neighbours of Israel, as Edom, Moab, Ammon, c. and Cicero says x, all the ancient nations had their kings, to whom they were obedient: Israel had God for their King in a peculiar manner other nations had not, and stood in no need of any other and happy it would have been for them if they had been content therewith, and not sought after another: however, they were so modest, and paid such deference to Samuel, as to desire him to make or appoint one for them.

x De Legibus, l. 3.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 8:5. Make us a king — Hitherto, from the time in which they were a people, the Israelites were under a theocracy, they had no other king but GOD. NOW they desire to have a king like the other nations around them, who may be their general in battle; for this is the point at which they principally aim.