Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

1 Samuel 7
¹⁵ Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life.
¹⁶ Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places.
¹⁷ Then he would return to his home at Ramah, and he would hear cases there, too. And Samuel built an altar to the LORD at Ramah.
1 Samuel 8
¹ As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.
² Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba.
³ But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
⁴ Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.
⁵ “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
⁶ Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the LORD for guidance.
⁷ “Do everything they say to you,” the LORD replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.
⁸ Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.