1 Samuel 12

1 Da sagde Samuel til al Israel: Se jeg hørte eders Røst i alt det, I sagde til mig, og jeg har sat en Konge til at regere over eder.

Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and I have set over you a king.

2 Og nu se, der vandrer Kongen for eders Ansigt, og jeg er vorden gammel og graahærdet, og se, mine Sønner ere hos eder; og jeg har vandret for eders Ansigt fra min Ungdom indtil denne Dag.

Now here is the king walking before you, and I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.

3 Se, her er jeg, vidner imod mig for Herren og for hans salvede: Hvis Okse har jeg taget, og hvis Asen har jeg taget, og hvem har jeg gjort Vold, hvem har jeg fortrykt, og af hvis Haand har jeg taget Bestikkelse, saa jeg derved lukkede mine Øjne? Og jeg vil give eder det igen.

Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.”

4 Da sagde de: Du har hverken gjort os Vold, ej heller fortrykt os, og ej taget noget af nogens Haand.

“You have not wronged us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.”

5 Da sagde han til dem: Herren er Vidne mod eder, og hans salvede er Vidne paa denne Dag, at I ikke have fundet noget i min Haand; og Folket sagde: Han skal være Vidne.

Samuel said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they replied.

6 Fremdeles sagde Samuel til Folket: Det er Herren, som beskikkede Mose og Aron, og som førte eders Fædre op af Ægyptens Land.

Then Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is the One who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

7 Og nu stiller eder frem, og jeg vil gaa i Rette med eder for Herrens Ansigt om alle Herrens retfærdige Gerninger, som han har gjort imod eder og imod eders Fædre.

Now present yourselves, so that I may confront you before the LORD with all the righteous acts He has done for you and your fathers.

8 Der Jakob var kommen til Ægypten, da raabte eders Fædre til Herren, og Herren sendte Mose og Aron, og de udførte eders Fædre af Ægypten og lode dem bo paa dette Sted.

When Jacob went to Egypt, your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He sent them Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

9 Men de forglemte Herren deres Gud; og han solgte dem i Siseras Haand, Krigshøvedsmandens i Hazor, og i Filisternes Haand og i Moabiternes Konges Haand, og disse strede imod dem.

But they forgot the LORD their God, and He sold them into the hand of Sisera the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them.

10 Da raabte de til Herren og sagde: Vi have syndet, fordi vi forlode Herren og tjente Baal- og Astartebillederne; men fri os nu fra vore Fjenders Haand, saa ville vi tjene dig.

Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve You.’

11 Da sendte Herren Jerub-Baal og Bedan og Jeftha og Samuel; og han friede eder af eders Fjenders Haand trindt omkring, at I boede tryggeligen.

So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt securely.

12 Og der I saa, at Nahas, Ammons Børns Konge, kom imod eder, da sagde I til mig: Ikke saa, men en Konge skal regere over os, skønt Herren eders Gud var eders Konge.

But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king.

13 Og nu, se, der er Kongen, som I have udvalgt, som I have begæret; og se, Herren har sat en Konge over eder.

Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you.

14 Dersom I frygte Herren og tjene ham og høre hans Røst og ikke ere genstridige mod Herrens Mund: Da skulle baade I og Kongen, som regerer over eder, være Herren eders Gud til Behag.

If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well.

15 Men dersom I ikke høre Herrens Røst, men ere genstridige mod Herrens Mund, da skal Herrens Haand være imod eder, som imod eders Fædre.

But if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers.

16 Stiller eder nu ogsaa frem og ser denne store Ting, som Herren skal gøre for eders Øjne.

Now, therefore, stand and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes.

17 Er det ikke Hvedehøst i Dag? Jeg vil kalde paa Herren, saa skal han give Torden og Regn: Saa vider og ser, at det onde, som I have gjort for Herrens Øjne, er stort, idet at I have begæret eder en Konge.

Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king.”

18 Da raabte Samuel til Herren, og Herren gav Torden og Regn paa den samme Dag; derfor frygtede alt Folket saare for Herren og Samuel.

So Samuel called to the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19 Og alt Folket sagde til Samuel: Bed ydmygeligen for dine Tjenere til Herren din Gud, at vi ikke skulle dø; thi vi lagde det onde til alle vore Synder, at vi begærede os en Konge.

They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king.”

20 Da sagde Samuel til Folket: Frygter ikke! I have vel gjort alt dette onde; viger dog ikke fra Herren, men tjener Herren i eders ganske Hjerte!

“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have committed all this evil, do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

21 Og viger ikke af; thi saa følge I forfængelige Ting, som ej gavne eller hjælpe, thi de ere Forfængelighed.

Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty.

22 Thi Herren skal ikke forlade sit Folk for sit store Navns Skyld, efterdi Herren har haft Villie til at gøre eder til sit Folk.

Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.

23 Ogsaa jeg — det være langt fra mig at synde imod Herren, at jeg skulde lade af at bede ydmygeligen for eder; men jeg vil lære eder den gode og den rette Vej.

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.

24 Frygter ikkun Herren og tjener ham i Sandhed af eders ganske Hjerte; thi ser, hvor store Ting han gør imod eder.

Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.

25 Men gøre I alligevel ilde, da skulle baade I og eders Konge omkomme.

But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”