8:1 撒母耳年紀老邁，就立他兒子作以色列的士師。
8:2 長子名叫約珥，次子名叫亞比亞；他們在別是巴作士師。
8:3 他兒子不行他的道，貪圖財利，收受賄賂，屈枉正直。
8:4 以色列的長老都聚集，來到拉瑪見撒母耳，
8:5 對他說：「你年紀老邁了，你兒子不行你的道。現在求你為我們立一個王治理我們，像列國一樣。」
8:6 撒母耳不喜悅他們說「立一個王治理我們」，他就禱告耶和華。
8:7 耶和華對撒母耳說：「百姓向你說的一切話，你只管依從；因為他們不是厭棄你，乃是厭棄我，不要我作他們的王。
8:8 自從我領他們出埃及到如今，他們常常離棄我，事奉別神。現在他們向你所行的，是照他們素來所行的。
8:9 故此你要依從他們的話，只是當警戒他們，告訴他們將來那王怎樣管轄他們。」
8:10 撒母耳將耶和華的話都傳給求他立王的百姓，說：
8:11 「管轄你們的王必這樣行：他必派你們的兒子為他趕車、跟馬，奔走在車前；
8:12 又派他們作千夫長、五十夫長，為他耕種田地，收割莊稼，打造軍器和車上的器械；
8:13 必取你們的女兒為他製造香膏，做飯烤餅；
8:14 也必取你們最好的田地、葡萄園、橄欖園賜給他的臣僕。
8:15 你們的糧食和葡萄園所出的，他必取十分之一給他的太監和臣僕；
8:16 又必取你們的僕人婢女，健壯的少年人和你們的驢，供他的差役。
8:17 你們的羊群他必取十分之一，你們也必作他的僕人。
8:18 那時你們必因所選的王哀求耶和華，耶和華卻不應允你們。」
8:19 百姓竟不肯聽撒母耳的話，說：「不然！我們定要一個王治理我們，
8:20 使我們像列國一樣，有王治理我們，統領我們，為我們爭戰。」
8:21 撒母耳聽見百姓這一切話，就將這話陳明在耶和華面前。
8:22 耶和華對撒母耳說：「你只管依從他們的話，為他們立王。」撒母耳對以色列人說：「你們各歸各城去吧！」
When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.[a] 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead[b] us, such as all the other nations have.”
6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”
10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
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撒母耳的人生似乎十分平淡，沒有什麼可以大寫特寫的，一下子就寫到：「撒母耳年紀老邁，就立他兒子作以色列的士師。」
照理來說應該就要結束關於撒母耳的紀載了！但是，事實上並非如此！許多上帝的僕人，反而在年紀老邁的時候遇見更大的考驗！正如聖經也如此說到約書亞的事蹟――約書亞年紀老邁，耶和華對他說：「你年紀老邁了，還有許多未得之地！」(約書亞記13:1)
對基督徒而言更是如此，年紀老邁不是推辭上帝呼召的藉口！正如使徒行傳中記載彼得引用先知約珥的話――上帝說：在末後的日子，我要將我的靈澆灌凡有血氣的。你們的兒女要說預言；你們的少年人要見異象；老年人要做異夢。(2:17)
式的老年人要做「異夢」！而撒母耳在年老時面對以色列由士師時代轉變為君王時代，這對他而言是很難想像的！因為他一直覺得，耶和華就是以色列的王，怎能立一個人來成為以色列的王呢？然而上帝就是要以色列人走到這樣一個地步，使以色列人有能力來對抗外侮！
而有一位王代表以色列開始有政府組織，也唯有這樣以色列才能算是一個真正的國家。因為一個國家若沒有治權的組織，是無法有效的分配資源和發揮軍事力量的，為自己建立範圍和影響力！
當然撒母耳年紀老邁之後，兩位以色列王都是透過他而立的，他的角色也轉變上帝和人中間的中保，但表上帝來警戒王，以免王走偏而影響整個以色列人，而掃羅之所以無法完成王的使命，也是因為不遵行上帝旨意。可見王也不能任意而為，撒母耳就由士師轉變成先知，成為代表上帝責備君王的人！
基督徒年老之後，更要常常親近上帝，才能扮演好「先知」的角色引導後進！說到這裡，我要感謝年輕時，上帝讓我遇到王緒先弟兄，他的年紀比我父親大，從他的教導我認識了許多屬靈的原則，讓我看見傳道人的風範！雖然那時常受到他的責罵，現在想來倍覺感動，願我將來老邁時，也是一個做「異夢」的先知！
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