1 Samuel 8:7-9

8:7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you. ¹  For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. 8:8 Just as they have done ²  from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you. 8:9 So now do as they say. ³  But seriously warn ⁴  them and make them aware of the policies of the king who will rule over them.” ⁵ 

1 Samuel 8:19

8:19 But the people refused to heed Samuel’s warning. ⁶  Instead they said, “No! There will be a king over us!

1 Samuel 12:12

12:12 “When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king will rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God is your king!

1 Samuel 12:17-19

12:17 Is this not the time of the wheat harvest? I will call on the Lord so that he makes it thunder and rain. Realize and see what a great sin you have committed before the Lord by asking for a king for yourselves.”

12:18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the Lord and Samuel. 12:19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us – your servants – so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.” ⁷ 

¹ tn Heb “Listen to the voice of the people, to all which they say to you.”

² tn Heb “according to all the deeds which they have done.”

³ tn Heb “and now, listen to their voice.”

⁴ tn The infinitive absolute appears before the imperative for emphasis.

⁵ tn Heb “and tell them the manner of the king who will rule over them.”

⁶ tn Heb “and the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel.”

⁷ tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”