The most sacred Bible, whiche is the Holy Scripture conteyning the Old and New Testament / translated into English, and newly recognised with great diligence after most faythful exemplars, by Rychard Taverner.

¶ Because Samuelles sonnes dyd mynyster euyll, the people requyre a kynge: and to them is descry∣bed the maner of a kynge.

CAPI. VIII.

WHen Samuel was olde, he made his son∣nes [ A] Iudges ouer Israell. The name of his eldest sonne was Ioel, and the name of the seconde Abiath, whiche were Iudges in Bersabe. Neuerthelesse his sonnes folowed not his steppes / but tourned asyde after lucre, and* 1.1 toke rewardes, and peruerted iudge∣ment. Then all the elders of Israel pathered them togyther and came to Samuel vnto Ra¦math, and sayd vnto hym / beholde, thou arte olde, and thy sonnes folowe not thy wayes. Now therfore* 1.2 make vs a kynge to iudge vs, as all other nacions haue. But that thyng dis∣pleased Samuel, when they sayde: Gyue vs a kyng to iudge vs. And Samuel prayed vnto [ B] the Lorde. And the Lorde sayd vnto Samuel, heare the voyce of the people in all that they saye vnto the. For they haue not caste the a∣waye, [ C] but me: that I sholde not raygne ouer them. And as they haue euer doone sithens I brought them out of Egypt vnto this daye, & haue forsaken me and serued other goddes, e∣uen so do they vnto the. Now therfore harken vnto theyr voyce / howe be it yet testifye vnto them, and shewe them the power of the kynge that shal raygne ouer them. And Samuel cold [] all the wordes of the Lorde vnto the people that asked a kynge of hym / and he sayde: this shall be the* 1.3 power of the kynge that shall rayne ouer you: he shall take your sonnes and put them to his charettes, and make his hors∣men of them / and they muste runne before his charet, and shal make him capitaynes of them ouer thousandes, and ouer hundredes, and wil

set them to eare his grounde / and to gather in his haruest, and to make ordinaunce of warre, and apparell for his charettes. And he wyll take your doughters & make them the dressers of his oyntmentes, & his cookes & bakers. And he shall take the best of your feldes / & of your vyneyardes,* 1.4 and of your olyue trees, and gyue them to his seruauntes. And he shall take the tenth of your seed, and of your vines, and giue it to his lordes, and to his seruauntes. And he shall take the best of your menseruauntes and maydseruauntes, and yonge men, and of your asses, and doo his worke with them. And he [ D] shall take the tenth of your shepe, and ye shall be his seruauntes. And when ye crye oute at that tyme vpon youre kynge whiche ye shall haue chosen vnto you, the Lord shal not heare you at that daye.

Neuerthelesse the people wolde not heare the voyce of Samuel, but dyd saye: naye not so: But there shall be a kynge ouer vs, and we wyll be lyke all other nacions. And oure kyng shall iudge vs, and go out before vs, and fight our battayles for vs. And Samuel herd all the wordes of the people, and rehersed thē in the eares of the Lorde. And the Lorde sayd to Samuel / harken vnto their voyce, & make them a kyng. Then sayd Samuel vnto y^e men of Israel, go euery man vnto his city.

Notes

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• * 1.2

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• * 1.3

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• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 xi. a