Samuel’s Warning

Samuel speaks the LORD’s words and begins to describe a king who will conscript children and seize the best produce of the land for his service. The warning moves from military demands to household and agricultural loss.

S¹⁰o Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots. ¹²He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ¹⁴He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants.

The king will take portions of harvests and flocks, absorb servants and animals into his own work, and reduce the people themselves to slavery. When they finally cry out because of the king they chose, the LORD will not answer.

¹⁵He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants. ¹⁶And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle and donkeys and put them to his own use. ¹⁷He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.”