1 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me and have appointed a king over you. 2 Now the king walks before you. 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. Testify against me before the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us, and you have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.” 5 He said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hand.” They said, “He is witness.”

6 Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is the one who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. 7 Now stand here, so that I may argue the case with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts the LORD has done for you and your fathers. 8 When Jacob came to Egypt and your fathers cried out to the LORD, the LORD sent Moses and Aaron. They 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, commander of Hazor’s army, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, who fought against them. 10 They cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11 The LORD sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side, so that you lived in safety. 12 When you saw that Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king shall reign over us,’ though the LORD your God was your king. 13 Now here is the king you have chosen, whom you asked for. The LORD has appointed a king over you. 14 If you fear the LORD, serve him, listen to his voice, and do not rebel against the LORD’s command, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God. 15 But if you do not listen to the LORD’s voice and rebel against the LORD’s command, the hand of the LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers. 16 Now stand here and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call to the LORD, and he will send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see how great is the evil you have done in the LORD’s eyes by asking for a king.”

18 Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day. All the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. 19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil of asking for a king.”

20 Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid. You have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD. Serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are worthless. 22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for the sake of his great name, because it has pleased the LORD to make you his people. 23 As for me, far be it from me to sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. 24 Only 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.”