1 Samuel 12

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, your king walks before you. 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. If I have taken anyone's ox or if I have taken anyone's ass or if I have defrauded anyone or if I have oppressed anyone or if I have received [a] bribe from anyone to blind my eyes, I will restore it you.

⁴ And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us; neither hast thou taken anything 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 anything in my hand. And they answered, [He is] witness.

⁶ Then Samuel said unto the people, The LORD is he who advanced Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

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

⁸ After Jacob had entered into Egypt and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.

⁹ And when they forgot 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 the Baalim and Ashtaroth, but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

¹¹ Then 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 dwelt safe.

¹² And when ye saw that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon, came against you, ye said unto me, No, 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! Behold, the LORD has set a king over you.

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

¹⁵ But if ye will not hear the voice of the LORD but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD shall 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 for a king [over] you.

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 not die, for we have added unto all our sins [this] evil, to ask for a king [over] us.

²⁰ And Samuel said unto the people, Do not fear. Ye have done all this wickedness, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

²¹ do not turn aside 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 has pleased the LORD to make you his people.

²³ Moreover as for me, in no wise should I 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 what great [things] he has done with you.

²⁵ But if ye shall persevere in doing wickedly, both ye and your king shall perish.: