1 Forsothe it was don, whanne Samuel hadde wexide eld, he settide hise sones iugis on Israel.
2 And the name of his firste gendrid sone was Johel, and the name of the secounde was Abia, iugis in Bersabee.
3 And hise sones yeden not in `the weies of hym, but thei bowiden after aueryce, and thei token yiftis, and peruertiden doom.
4 Therfor alle the grettere men in birthe of Israel weren gaderid, and camen to Samuel in to Ramatha.
5 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 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 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 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 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 Therfor Samuel seide alle the wordis of the Lord to the puple, that hadde axid of him a king; and he seide,
11 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 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 Also he schal make youre douytris makeris of `oynementis to hym silf, and fueris, and bakeris.
14 And he schal take youre feeldis and vyneris and the beste places of olyues, and schal yyue to hise seruauntis.
15 But also he schal take the tenthe part of youre cornes, and rentis of vyneris, that he yyue to his chaumberleyns and seruauntis.
16 Sotheli he schal take awey youre seruauntis and handmaydes, and beste yong men, and assis, and schal sette in his werk.
17 Also he schal take the tenthe part of youre flockis, and ye schulen be `seruauntis to hym.
18 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 Sotheli the puple nolde here the vois of Samuel, but thei seiden, Nay for a kyng schal be on vs;
20 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 herde alle the wordis of the puple, and `spak tho in the eeris of the Lord.
22 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. |
