1 Samuel 8:10-18 - Samuel's Warning Against Kings

¹⁰ So Samuel spoke all the words of Yahweh to the people who [were] requesting a king from him. ¹¹ He said, "This will be the custom of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots. ¹² He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and [those] {to do his plowing} and to reap his harvest, and [those] to make weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters as [his] perfume makers and as cooks and as bakers. ¹⁴ He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive trees and will give [them] to his servants. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give [it] to his high officials and to his servants. ¹⁶ He will take your male slaves and your female slaves and the best of your young men and your donkeys and {will use them for his projects}. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you [yourselves] will become his servants. ¹⁸ So you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but Yahweh will not answer you on that day!"