Study Desk

And it came to passe, when Samuel was old, that he made his sonnes Iudges ouer Israel.

Now the name of his first borne was Ioel, and the name of his second, Abiah: they were Iudges in Beer-sheba.

And his sonnes walked not in his wayes, but turned aside after lucre, and tooke bribes, & peruerted iudgement.

Then all the Elders of Israel gathered themselues together, and came to Samuel vnto Ramah,

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.

But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Giue vs a King to iudge vs: and Samuel prayed vnto the Lord.

And the Lord said vnto Samuel, Hearken vnto the voyce of the people in all that they say vnto thee: for they haue not reiected thee, but they haue reiected mee, that I should not reigne ouer them.

According to all the works which they haue done since the day that I brought them vp out of Egypt euen vnto this day, wherewith they haue forsaken me, and serued other gods: so doe they also vnto thee.

Nowe therefore hearken vnto their voyce: howbeit, yet protest solemnly vnto them, and shew them the maner of the King that shall reigne ouer them.