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, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made 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, behold, the king walks before you. I am old and grey-headed. Behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth to 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. Witness against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? 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 defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything from anyone’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, “The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” They said, “He 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 the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that 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 therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to 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 had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell 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, 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 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 to the LORD, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of 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.

The LORD sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.

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 children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when 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 therefore see the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for. Behold, the LORD has set 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 will fear the LORD, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of the LORD 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.

But if you will not listen to the LORD’s voice, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the LORD’s hand 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 still and see this great thing, which 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!«

Isn’t it wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain; and you will know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the LORD’s sight, in 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 the LORD sent thunder and rain that day. Then 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!«

All the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask 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

Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet don’t turn away 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.

Don’t turn away to go after vain things which can’t profit or deliver, for they are vain.

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 LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD 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;

Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

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

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for 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 keep doing evil, you will be consumed, both you and your king.”