1 Samuel 12

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that ye said to me, and have made a king over you.

2 And now, behold, the king walks before you. And I am old and gray headed, and, behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth to this day.

3 Here I am. Witness against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed: Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or of whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? And I will restore it to you.

4 And they said, Thou have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have thou taken anything of any man's hand.

5 And he said to them, Jehovah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand. And they said, He is witness.

6 And Samuel said to the people, It is Jehovah who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before Jehovah concerning all the righteous acts of Jehovah, which he did to you and to your fathers.

8 When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.

9 But they forgot Jehovah 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 And they cried to Jehovah, and said, We have sinned because we have forsaken Jehovah, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

11 And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt in safety.

12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, ye said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, when Jehovah your God was your king.

13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have asked for. And, behold, Jehovah has set a king over you.

14 If ye will fear Jehovah, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then both ye and also the king who reigns over you shall be followers of Jehovah your God.

15 But if ye will not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then the hand of Jehovah will be against you as it was against your fathers.

16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Jehovah will do before your eyes.

17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to Jehovah that he may send thunder and rain, and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of Jehovah in asking a king for you.

18 So Samuel called to Jehovah, and Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel.

19 And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for thy servants to Jehovah thy God that we not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask a king for us.

20 And Samuel said to the people, Fear not. Ye have indeed done all this evil, yet turn not aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart.

21 And turn ye not aside after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain.

22 For Jehovah will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it has pleased Jehovah to make you a people to himself.

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

24 Only fear Jehovah, and serve him in truth with all your heart, for consider what great things he has done for you.

25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.