VERSE STUDY • KJV

1 Samuel 8:19-22

¹⁹ Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; 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 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. ²² And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

¹⁹ Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; 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 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. ²² And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

¹⁹ Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. ²⁰ Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.” ²¹ Samuel listened to all the words of the people and repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. ²² “Listen to their voice,” the LORD said to Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Everyone must go back to his city.”

WEB World English Bible

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 Yahweh. ²² Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and make them a king.” Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.”

ASV American Standard Version

¹⁹ But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay: 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 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Jehovah. ²² And Jehovah said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

¹⁹ And the people refuse to hearken to the voice of Samuel, and say, ‘Nay, but a king is over us, ²⁰ and we have been, even we, like all the nations; and our king hath judged us, and gone out before us, and fought our battles.’ ²¹ And Samuel heareth all the words of the people, and speaketh them in the ears of Jehovah; ²² and Jehovah saith unto Samuel, ‘Hearken to their voice, and thou hast caused to reign over them a king.’ And Samuel saith unto the men of Israel, ‘Go ye each to his city.’

Surrounding context — 1 Samuel 8

16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put [them] to his work.

17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; 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 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.

22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

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