10. Samuel delivered the message of the Lord in full to those who were asking him for a king.
11. He told them: “The governance of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot.
12. He will appoint from among them his commanders of thousands and of hundreds. He will make them do his plowing and harvesting and produce his weapons of war and chariotry.
13. He will use your daughters as perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
14. He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his servants.
15. He will tithe your crops and grape harvests to give to his officials and his servants.
16. He will take your male and female slaves, as well as your best oxen and donkeys, and use them to do his work.
17. He will also tithe your flocks. As for you, you will become his slaves.
18. On that day you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you on that day.”
19. The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said, “No! There must be a king over us.
20. We too must be like all the nations, with a king to rule us, lead us in warfare, and fight our battles.”
21. Samuel listened to all the concerns of the people and then repeated them to the Lord.
22. The Lord said: Listen to them! Appoint a king to rule over them. Then Samuel said to the people of Israel, “Return, each one of you, to your own city.”