< Kings I 8 >

1 And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Forsothe it was don, whanne Samuel hadde wexide eld, he settide hise sones iugis on Israel.
2 And these [are] the names of his sons; Joel the firstborn, and the name of the second Abia, judges in Bersabee.
And the name of his firste gendrid sone was Johel, and the name of the secounde was Abia, iugis in Bersabee.
3 And his sons did not walk in his way; and they turned aside after gain, and took gifts, and perverted judgements.
And hise sones yeden not in `the weies of hym, but thei bowiden after aueryce, and thei token yiftis, and peruertiden doom.
4 And the men of Israel gather themselves together, and come to Armathaim to Samuel,
Therfor alle the grettere men in birthe of Israel weren gaderid, and camen to Samuel in to Ramatha.
5 and they said to him, Behold, you are grown old, and your sons walk not in your way; and now set over us a king to judge us, as also the other nations [have].
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.
6 And the thing [was] evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us: and Samuel prayed to the Lord.
And the word displeside in the iyen of Samuel, for thei hadden seid, Yyue thou to vs a kyng, that he deme vs. And Samuel preiede to the Lord.
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, Hear the voice of the people, in whatever they shall say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from reigning over them.
Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou the vois of the puple in alle thingis whiche thei speken to thee; for thei han not caste awey thee, but me, that Y regne not on hem.
8 According to all their doings which they have done to me, from the day that I brought them out of Egypt until this day, even [as] they have deserted me, and served other gods, so they do also to you.
Bi alle her werkis whiche thei diden, fro the day in whiche Y ledde hem out of Egipt `til to this dai, as thei forsoken me, and seruyden alien goddis, so thei doon also to thee.
9 And now listen to their voice; only you shall solemnly testify to them, and you shall describe to them the manner of the king who shall reign over them.
Now therfor here thou her vois; netheles witnesse thou to hem; biforseie thou to hem the riyt of the kyng, that schal regne on hem.
10 And Samuel spoke every word of the Lord to the people who asked of him a king.
Therfor Samuel seide alle the wordis of the Lord to the puple, that hadde axid of him a king; and he seide,
11 And he said, This shall be the manner of the king that shall rule over you: he shall take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and amongst his horsemen, and running before his chariots,
This schal be the `riyt of the kyng, that schal comaunde to you; he schal take youre sones, and schal sette in hise charis;
12 and [his manner shall be] to make them to himself captains of hundreds and captains of thousands; and to reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and prepare his instruments of war, and the implements of his chariots.
and he schal make hem `to hym silf rideris, and biforegoeris of hise cartis; and he schal ordeyne to hym tribunes, `that is, souereyns of a thousynd, and centuriouns, `that is, souereyns of an hundrid, and eereris of hise feeldis, and reperis of cornes, and smythis of hise armeris, and charis.
13 And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and cooks, and bakers.
Also he schal make youre douytris makeris of `oynementis to hym silf, and fueris, and bakeris.
14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your good olive yards, and give them to his servants.
And he schal take youre feeldis and vyneris and the beste places of olyues, and schal yyue to hise seruauntis.
15 And he will take the tithe of your seeds and your vineyards, and give [it] to his eunuchs, and to his servants.
But also he schal take the tenthe part of youre cornes, and rentis of vyneris, that he yyue to his chaumberleyns and seruauntis.
16 And he will take your servants, and your handmaids, and your good herds and your asses, and will take the tenth of them for his works.
Sotheli he schal take awey youre seruauntis and handmaydes, and beste yong men, and assis, and schal sette in his werk.
17 And he will tithe your flocks; and you shall be his servants.
Also he schal take the tenthe part of youre flockis, and ye schulen be `seruauntis to hym.
18 And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen to yourselves, and the Lord shall not hear you in those days, because you have chosen to yourselves a king.
And ye schulen crye in that dai fro the face of youre kyng, whom ye han chose to you; and the Lord schal not here you in that dai; for ye axiden a kyng to you.
19 But the people would not listen to Samuel; and they said to him, Nay, but there shall be a king over us.
Sotheli the puple nolde here the vois of Samuel, but thei seiden, Nay for a kyng schal be on vs;
20 An we also will be like all the nations; and our king shall judge us, and shall go out before us, and fight our battles.
and we also schulen be as alle folkis, and oure kyng schal deme vs, and he schal go out bifor vs, and he schal fiyte oure batel for vs.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and spoke them in the ears of the Lord.
And Samuel herde alle the wordis of the puple, and `spak tho in the eeris of the Lord.
22 And the Lord said to Samuel, Listen to their voice, and appoint them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Let each man depart to his city.
Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou `the vois of hem, and ordeyne thou a kyng on hem. And Samuel seide to the men of Israel, Ech man go in to his citee.

< Kings I 8 >