12:1 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you.
12:2 Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day.
12:3 Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.”
12:4 “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”
12:5 Samuel said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is witness,” they said.
12:6 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your forefathers up out of Egypt.
12:7 Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the LORD as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your fathers.
12:8 “After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the LORD for help, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your forefathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
12:9 “But they forgot the LORD their God; so 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.
12:10 They cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’
12:11 Then the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely.
12:12 “But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’–even though the LORD your God was your king.
12:13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you.
12:14 If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God–good!
12:15 But if you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
12:16 “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!
12:17 Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king.”
12:18 Then Samuel called upon the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel.
12:19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”
12:20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
12:21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.
12:22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.
12:23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.
12:24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
12:25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”
12:1 And Samuel said to all Israel, I have now listened to your voice according to all that you have said to me, and I have placed a king over you.
12:2 And now, here is the king who goes before you. But I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you, and I have gone before you from my youth until this day.
12:3 Here I am; testify against me before Jehovah and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe in order to blind my eyes with it? Then I will restore it to you.
12:4 And they said, You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from anyone s hand.
12:5 And he said to them, Jehovah is Witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they said, He is witness.
12:6 And Samuel said to the people, It is Jehovah who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
12:7 Now therefore stand here, that I may plead with you before Jehovah concerning all the righteous acts of Jehovah, which He did to you and to your fathers.
12:8 When Jacob went to Egypt, and your fathers cried out to Jehovah, Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron; and they brought your fathers out from Egypt and caused them to dwell in this place.
12:9 But they forgot Jehovah their God, and He sold them into the hand of Sisera, the captain of Hazor s army, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.
12:10 Then they cried out to Jehovah and said, We have sinned, for we have forsaken Jehovah and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but deliver us now from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.
12:11 And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hand of your enemies all around; and you dwelt securely.
12:12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No; but a king will reign over us, though Jehovah your God was your King.
12:13 Now therefore here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for. See then, Jehovah has set a king over you.
12:14 If you fear Jehovah and serve Him and listen to His voice and do not rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow Jehovah your God, fine.
12:15 But if you do not listen to the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then the hand of Jehovah will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
12:16 Now therefore stand here and see this great thing that Jehovah will do before your eyes.
12:17 Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to Jehovah, that He send thunder and rain; and you will know and see that your wickedness which you have done in the sight of Jehovah by asking for a king for yourselves is great.
12:18 And Samuel called to Jehovah, and Jehovah sent thunder and rain on that day. And all the people feared Jehovah and Samuel greatly.
12:19 Then all the people said to Samuel, Pray to Jehovah your God for your servants that we would not die, for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king for ourselves.
12:20 And Samuel said to the people, Do not be afraid. You have done all this evil, yet do not turn away from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart.
12:21 And do not turn away, for your turning away would be after vain idols, which cannot profit or deliver you, for they are vanity.
12:22 For because of His great name Jehovah will not forsake His people, for Jehovah has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.
12:23 Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I would sin against Jehovah by ceasing to pray for you, but I will instruct you in the good and right way.
12:24 Only, fear Jehovah and serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what great things He has done for you.
12:25 But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be consumed.