1 Samuel 12

¹ And Samuel said to all Israel: Behold, I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.

² And now, behold the king walking before you; and I am old and gray, and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth to this day.

³ Look at me. Witness against me before Jehovah and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.

⁴ And they said, You have not cheated us nor oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.

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 answered, He is witness.

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.

⁷ Now therefore, present yourself, that I may plead with you before Jehovah concerning all the righteous acts of Jehovah which He did with you and your fathers:

⁸ When Jacob had gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out unto Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.

⁹ And when they forgot Jehovah their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.

¹⁰ And they cried out unto Jehovah, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah and served the Baals and Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.

¹¹ And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies all around; and you dwelt in safety.

¹² And 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, even though Jehovah your God was your king.

¹³ Now therefore, behold the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for. And behold, Jehovah has set a king over you.

¹⁴ If you will fear Jehovah and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the mouth of Jehovah, then both you and the king who reigns over you shall follow Jehovah your God.

¹⁵ However, if you do not obey the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the mouth of Jehovah, then the hand of Jehovah will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶ Now therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing which Jehovah will do before your eyes:

¹⁷ Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to Jehovah, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for a king for yourselves.

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

¹⁹ And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to Jehovah your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king for ourselves.

²⁰ And Samuel said to the people, Do not fear. You have done all this evil; yet do not turn aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart.

²¹ And do not turn aside to go after vanities which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are nothing.

²² For Jehovah will not abandon His people, for His great name’s sake, because Jehovah has undertaken to make you a people for Himself.

²³ Moreover, as for me, far be it from me to sin against Jehovah to cease to pray for you; for I have taught you the good and the right way.

²⁴ Only fear Jehovah, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

²⁵ But if you do wickedly to do evil, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.