About a month later King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the town of Jabesh in the territory of Gilead and besieged it. The men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will accept you as our ruler."

Nahash answered, "I will make a treaty with you on one condition: I will put out everyone's right eye and so bring disgrace on all Israel."

But they did not follow their father's example; they were interested only in making money, so they accepted bribes and did not decide cases honestly.

and said to him, "Look, you are getting old and your sons don't follow your example. So then, appoint a king to rule over us, so that we will have a king, as other countries have."

Samuel was displeased with their request for a king; so he prayed to the LORD,

The people paid no attention to Samuel, but said, "No! We want a king,

so that we will be like other nations, with our own king to rule us and to lead us out to war and to fight our battles."

But today you turned against my father's family. You killed his sons---seventy men on a single stone---and just because Abimelech, his son by his servant woman, is your relative, you have made him king of Shechem.

And so it was that God paid Abimelech back for the crime that he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers.

God also made the men of Shechem suffer for their wickedness, just as Jotham, Gideon's son, said they would when he cursed them.

and the LORD said, "Listen to everything the people say to you. You are not the one they have rejected; I am the one they have rejected as their king.

I am your God, the one who rescues you from all your troubles and difficulties, but today you have rejected me and have asked me to give you a king. Very well, then, gather yourselves before the LORD by tribes and by clans.' "

"I will keep my promise to you and to your descendants in future generations as an everlasting covenant. I will be your God and the God of your descendants.

Now, if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own people. The whole earth is mine, but you will be my chosen people,

a people dedicated to me alone, and you will serve me as priests."

I foresee that Israel's future Will bring her no misfortune or trouble. The LORD their God is with them; They proclaim that he is their king.

Gideon answered, "I will not be your ruler, nor will my son. The LORD will be your ruler."

But you have been our king from the beginning, O God; you have saved us many times.

All the rigging on those ships is useless; the sails cannot be spread! We will seize all the wealth of enemy armies, and there will be so much that even the lame can get a share. The LORD himself will be our king; he will rule over us and protect us.

You asked for a king and for leaders, but how can they save the nation?