12
Samuel Addresses Israel
1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me and I have appointed a king over you.
2 “Now, here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray, and behold my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth even to this day.
3 “Here I am; bear witness against me before the Loʀᴅ and 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 to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you.”
4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.”
5 He said to them, “The Loʀᴅ is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”
6 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Loʀᴅ who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.
7 “So now, take your stand, that I may plead with you before the Loʀᴅ concerning all the righteous acts of the Loʀᴅ which He did for you and your fathers.
8 “When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried out to the Loʀᴅ, then the Loʀᴅ sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
9 “But they forgot the Loʀᴅ their God, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.
10 “They cried out to the Loʀᴅ and said, ‘We have sinned because we have forsaken the Loʀᴅ and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.’
11 “Then the Loʀᴅ sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security.
The King Confirmed
12 “When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ although the Loʀᴅ your God was your king.
13 “Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Loʀᴅ has set a king over you.
14 “If you will fear the Loʀᴅ and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Loʀᴅ, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Loʀᴅ your God.
15 “If you will not listen to the voice of the Loʀᴅ, but rebel against the command of the Loʀᴅ, then the hand of the Loʀᴅ will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
16 “Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the Loʀᴅ will do before your eyes.
17 “Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the Loʀᴅ, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Loʀᴅ by asking for yourselves a king.”
18 So Samuel called to the Loʀᴅ, and the Loʀᴅ sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Loʀᴅ and Samuel.
19 Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Loʀᴅ your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.”
20 Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Loʀᴅ, but serve the Loʀᴅ with all your heart.
21 “You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile.
22 “For the Loʀᴅ will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Loʀᴅ has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.
23 “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Loʀᴅ by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.
24 “Only fear the Loʀᴅ and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
25 “But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.”