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 Lordand 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 restoreitto 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 Lordis witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said, “He iswitness.”
6 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lordwho 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 Lordconcerning all the righteous acts of the Lordwhich He did for you and your fathers.
8 When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried out to the Lord, then the Lordsent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
9 But they forgot the Lordtheir 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 Lordand said, ‘We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lordand 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 Lordsent Jerubbaal andBedan 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 Lordyour Godwasyour king.
13 Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lordhas set a king over you.
14 If you will fear the Lordand serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lordyour God.
15 If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lordwill be against you,as it wasagainst your fathers.
16 Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the Lordwill do before your eyes.
17 Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord, 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 Lordby asking for yourselves a king.”
18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lordsent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lordand Samuel.
19 Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lordyour God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sinsthisevil 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 Lord, but serve the Lordwith all your heart.
21 You must not turn aside, forthen you would goafter futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile.
22 For the Lordwill not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lordhas 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 Lordby ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.
24 Onlyfear the Lordand 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.”
—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/1SA/12-e1ff6cb85b8ab7d6327cfd5b6bf65e9e.mp3?version_id=100—