² And now, see, the king is before you: and I am old and grey-headed, and my sons are with you: I have been living before your eyes from my early days till now.

⁵ And said to him, See now, you are old, and your sons do not go in your ways: give us a king now to be our judge, so that we may be like the other nations.

²⁰ So that we may be like the other nations, and so that our king may be our judge and go out before us to war.

¹ Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

³ And his sons did not go in his ways, but moved by the love of money took rewards, and were not upright in judging.

¹⁹ And Samuel became older, and the Lord was with him and let not one of his words be without effect.

²⁰ And it was clear to all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba that Samuel had been made a prophet of the Lord.

¹⁷ To go out and come in before them and be their guide; so that the people of the Lord may not be like sheep without a keeper.

¹⁴ For I am conscious that in a short time I will have to put off this tent of flesh, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

⁶ For I am even now being offered, and my end is near.

³ Give ear to me, O family of Jacob, and all the rest of the people of Israel, who have been supported by me from their birth, and have been my care from their earliest days:

⁴ Even when you are old I will be the same, and when you are grey-haired I will take care of you: I will still be responsible for what I made; yes, I will take you and keep you safe.

¹⁸ Now when I am old and grey-headed, O God, give me not up; till I have made clear your strength to this generation, and your power to all those to come.

¹⁶ Then Eli said, Samuel, my son. And Samuel answering said, Here am I.

¹³ And you are to say to him that I will send punishment on his family for ever, for the sin which he had knowledge of; because his sons have been cursing God and he had no control over them.

²⁹ Why then are you looking with envy on my offerings of meat and of meal which were ordered by my word, honouring your sons before me, and making yourselves fat with all the best of the offerings of Israel, my people?

²² Now Eli was very old; and he had news from time to time of what his sons were doing to all Israel.