1 Samuel 12

1 Da sagde Samuel til hele Israel: »Se, jeg har føjet eder i alt, hvad I har bedt mig om, og sat en Konge 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 Se, nu færdes Kongen for eders Ansigt; jeg er gammel og graa, og mine Sønner er nu iblandt eder; men jeg har færdedes for eders Ansigt fra min Ungdom indtil i 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 staar jeg; viden imod mig i HERRENS og hans, Salvedes Paahør! Hvis Okse har jeg taget? Hvis Æsel har jeg taget? Hvem har jeg, undertrykt? Hvem har jeg gjort Uret? Af hvem har jeg taget Gave og derfor lukket Øjnene? I saa Fald vil jeg give eder Erstatning!«

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 ikke undertrykt os eller gjort os Uret eller taget noget fra nogen.«

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

5 Derpaa sagde han til dem: »Saa er HERREN i Dag Vidne over for eder, ogsaa hans Salvede er Vidne, at I ikke har fundet noget hos mig.« De sagde: »Ja!«

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 Da sagde Samuel til Folket: »HERREN er Vidne, han, som udrustede Moses og Aron og førte eders Fædre op fra Ægypten.

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 Saa træd nu frem, at jeg kan gaa i Rette med eder for HERRENS Aasyn og kundgøre eder alle de Gerninger, HERREN i sin Retfærdighed har øvet mod eder og 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 Da Jakob og hans Sønner var kommet til Ægypten, og Ægypterne plagede dem, raabte eders Fædre til HERREN, og HERREN sendte Moses og Aron, som førte eders Fædre ud af Ægypten, og han lod dem bosætte sig her.

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 glemte HERREN deres Gud; derfor prisgav han dem til Kong Jabin af Hazors Hærfører Sisera, til Filisterne og til Moabs Konge, saa de angreb 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 har syndet, thi vi forlod HERREN og dyrkede Ba'alerne og Astarterne; men fri os nu af vore Fjenders Haand, saa vil vi dyrke 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 Saa sendte HERREN Jerubba'al, Barak, Jefta og Samuel; og han friede eder af eders Fjenders Haand rundt om, saa I kunde bo i Tryghed.

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 Men da I saa Ammoniterkongen Nahasj rykke frem imod eder, sagde I til mig: Nej, en Konge skal herske over os uagtet 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, her staar Kongen, som I har valgt og krævet; 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 Hvis I frygter HERREN og tjener ham, adlyder hans Røst og ikke er genstridige mod HERRENS Bud, men følger HERREN eders Gud, baade I og Kongen, som har faaet Herredømmet over eder, da skal det gaa eder vel.

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 Adlyder I derimod ikke HERRENS Røst, men er genstridige mod HERRENS Bud, da skal HERRENS Haand ramme eder og eders Konge og ødelægge eder.

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 Træd nu frem og se den vældige Gerning, HERREN vil øve for eders Øjne!

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

17 Har vi ikke Hvedehøst nu? Men jeg vil raabe til HERREN, at han skal sende Torden og Regn, for at I kan kende og se, at det i HERRENS Øjne var en stor Brøde I begik, da I krævede 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 Derpaa raabte Samuel til HERREN, og HERREN sendte samme Dag Torden og Regn. Da frygtede hele 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 hele Folket sagde til Samuel: »Bed for dine Trælle til HERREN din Gud, at vi ikke skal dø, fordi vi til vore andre Synder har føjet den Brøde at kræve 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: »Frygt ikke! Vel har I øvet al den Synd; men vend eder nu ikke fra HERREN, tjen ham af hele eders 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 vend eder ikke til dem, som er Tomhed og hverken kan hjælpe eller frelse, fordi de er Tomhed.

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

22 Thi for sit store Navns Skyld vil HERREN ikke forstøde sit Folk, da det jo har behaget HERREN 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 Det være ogsaa langt fra mig at synde mod HERREN og høre op med at bede for eder; jeg vil ogsaa vise eder den gode og 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 men frygt HERREN og tjen ham oprigtigt af hele eders Hjerte; thi se, hvor store Ting han gjorde 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 hvis I handler ilde, skal baade I og eders Konge gaa til Grunde!«

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