1 Samuel 12

1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and I have set over you a king.

2 Now here is the king walking before you, and I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.

3 Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.”

4 “You have not cheated us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.”

5 Samuel said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they replied.

6 Then Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is the One who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

7 Now present yourselves, so that I may confront you before the LORD with all the righteous acts He has done for you and your fathers.

8 When Jacob went to Egypt, your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He sent them Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

9 But they forgot the LORD their God, and He sold them into the hand of Sisera the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them.

10 Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve You.’

11 So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt securely.

12 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king.

13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you.

14 If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well.

15 But if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers.

16 Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes.

17 Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king.”

18 So Samuel called to the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19 They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king.”

20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have committed all this evil, do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

21 Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty.

22 Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.

23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.

24 Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.

25 But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

1 ¶ And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons [are] with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

3 Behold, here I [am]: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received [any] bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand.

5 And he said unto them, The LORD [is] witness against you, and his anointed [is] witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, [He is] witness.

6 ¶ And Samuel said unto the people, [It is] the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.

8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10 And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God [was] your king.

13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, [and] whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.

14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:

15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as [it was] against your fathers.

16 ¶ Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

17 [Is it] not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness [is] great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins [this] evil, to ask us a king.

20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

21 And turn ye not aside: for [then should ye go] after vain [things], which cannot profit nor deliver; for they [are] vain.

22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great [things] he hath done for you.

25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye have said unto me, and have made a king over you.

2 And now, behold, your king goeth before you. And I am grown old and gray, and my sons are with you, and I have gone before you from my youth even unto this day.

3 Behold, here am I; answer me before the LORD, and before his anointed, if I have taken any man's ox, or any man's ass; if I have done any man violence, or any man wrong; if I have taken any gift of any man's hand, and have blinded mine eyes? then will I restore it unto you.

4 And they said: Thou hast done us no violence nor wrong, neither hast thou taken anything from any man's hand.

5 And he said unto them: The LORD be witness against you, and his anointed this day, that ye have found nothing in my hand. And they said: Yea, witness they shall be.

6 And Samuel said unto the people, Yea, the LORD that made Moses and Aaron, and brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt.

7 Come now therefore, that I may testify with you before the LORD concerning all the good deeds of the LORD, which he hath done for you and for your fathers.

8 And it came to pass, when Jacob was come into Egypt, that your fathers cried unto the LORD, and he sent Moses and Aaron to bring your fathers out of Egypt, and to make them dwell in this place.

9 And when they had forgotten the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera the captain of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, which fought against them.

10 And they cried unto the LORD, saying: We have sinned in that we have forsaken the LORD, and served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies round about, and made you dwell in safety.

12 And when ye saw that Nahash king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Not thou, but a king, shall reign over us: for the LORD your God was your king.

13 Now therefore ye have your king, whom ye have chosen and asked: for, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.

14 If ye then fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and be not disobedient to the mouth of the LORD, both ye and your king that reigneth over you shall follow the LORD your God.

15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but will disobey his mouth, the hand of the LORD shall be against you, and against your fathers.

16 Stand ye also now, and behold the great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes.

17 Is not the wheat harvest now? But I will call upon the LORD, and he shall cause it to thunder and to rain, that ye may understand and see the great evil that ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in that ye have asked yourselves a king.

18 And when Samuel called upon the LORD, the LORD thundered and rained that day. And all the people feared the LORD very much, and Samuel.

19 And they all said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for upon all our iniquity have we also done this evil, in that we have asked us a king.

20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this evil: nevertheless turn not aside from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

21 And yield not to vanity: for it profiteth not, neither can it save, because it is a vain thing.

22 But the LORD will not trust his people for his great name's sake: for the LORD hath begun to make you his own people.

23 But let it also be far from me to sin so against the LORD, that I should cease to pray for you, and to teach you the good and right way.

24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him faithfully with all your heart: for ye have seen how great things he doeth unto you.

25 But if ye do evil, both ye and your king shall be lost.