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.

Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me, and I have set a king over you.

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 with you. I have walked before you from my youth until today.

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; testify against me before Yahweh and before his anointed one. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with? Testify against 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.«

They said, “You have not cheated us, oppressed us, or have stolen anything from any man's hand.”

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!«

He said to them, “Yahweh is witness against you, and his anointed one is witness today, that you have found nothing in my hand.” They replied, “Yahweh is witness.”

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

Samuel said to the people, “It is Yahweh who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from 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 then, present yourself, so that I may plead with you before Yahweh about all of the righteous deeds of Yahweh, which he did 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 came to Egypt, and your ancestors cried out to Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and they settled 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 Yahweh their God; he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the armies of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; these all fought against your ancestors.

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!

They cried out to Yahweh and said, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahweh and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and we will 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 Yahweh sent Jerub Baal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and gave you victory over your enemies all around you, so that you lived in security.

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!

When you saw that Nahash the king of the people of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No! Instead, a king must reign over us'—although Yahweh 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 whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for and whom Yahweh has now appointed as 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 Yahweh, serve him, obey his voice, and not rebel against the command of Yahweh, then both you and the king who reigns over you will be followers of Yahweh your God.

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.

If you do not obey the voice of Yahweh, but rebel against the commands of Yahweh, then Yahweh's hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.

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

Even now present yourself and see this great thing which Yahweh 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 upon Yahweh, 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 Yahweh, in asking for yourselves 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 Yahweh; and that same day Yahweh sent thunder and rain. Then all the people greatly feared Yahweh 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!«

Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, so that we do not die. For we have added to all our sins this evil in asking for a king for ourselves.”

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

Samuel replied, “Do not be afraid. You have done all this evil, but do not turn away from Yahweh, but serve Yahweh 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 away after empty things that cannot profit or rescue you, because they are useless.

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.

For the sake of his great name, Yahweh will not reject his people, because it has pleased Yahweh to make you a people for himself.

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 Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you. Instead, I will teach you the way that is good and right.

24 men frygt HERREN og tjen ham oprigtigt af hele eders Hjerte; thi se, hvor store Ting han gjorde imod eder!

Only fear Yahweh and serve him in truth with all your heart. Consider the 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 destroyed.”