1 Samuel 12

1 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.

Then Samuel said to all of Israel, “I have paid attention to everything you asked from me, and I have given you a king to rule over you.

2 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.

Now your king is your leader. I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from the time I was a boy up to today.

3 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.”

I stand here before you. Bring any charges you have against me in the presence of the Lord and of his anointed one. Have I taken anyone's ox or donkey? Have I wronged anyone? Have I oppressed anyone? Have I accepted a bribe from anyone to turn a blind eye? Tell me, and I will repay you.”

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

“No, you have never cheated or oppressed us,” they replied, “and you have never taken anything from anyone.”

5 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.

Samuel told them, “The Lord is a witness, and his anointed is a witness today, in this case involving you, that you have not found me guilty of anything.” “He is a witness,” they replied.

6 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.

“The Lord is a witness, he who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel went on. “He led your forefathers out of the land of Egypt.

7 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.

So stand here as I present to you in the presence of the Lord the evidence of all the good things the Lord has done for you and your forefathers.

8 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.

After Jacob had gone to Egypt, your fathers cried out to the Lord for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron to lead your forefathers out of Egypt and settle them here.

9 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.

But they forgot about the Lord their God, so he abandoned them to Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab, who attacked them.

10 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.’

They cried out to the Lord for help and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have rejected the Lord and worshiped the Baals and Ashtoreths. Please save us from the hands of our enemies, and we will worship you.’

11 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.

Then the Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he saved you from your enemies who surrounded you so you could live in safety.

12 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.

But when you saw that Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was coming to attack you, you told me, ‘No, we want our own king,’ even though the Lord your God was your king.

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

So here's the king you have chosen, the one you asked for. Look—the Lord now gives him to you as your king!

14 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.

If you honor the Lord, worship him, do what he tells you, and don't rebel against the Lord's instructions, and if both you and your king follow the Lord your God, then good!

15 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.

However, if you refuse to do what he tells you, and rebel against the Lord's instructions, then the Lord will be against you as he was against your forefathers.

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

Now stand still and watch what the Lord is going to do, right before your very eyes.

17 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.”

Isn't it the time of wheat harvest? Well, I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize how very evil you were in the Lord's sight when you demanded your own king.”

18 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.

Then Samuel prayed to the Lord, and that very day the Lord sent thunder and rain. Everyone was in absolute awe of the Lord and of Samuel.

19 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.”

“Please pray to the Lord your God for us your servants, so we will not die!” they begged Samuel. “For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for our own king.”

20 “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.

“Don't be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have indeed done all these evil things, don't give up following the Lord, but dedicate yourselves completely to worshiping him.

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

Don't worship worthless idols that can't help you or save you, for they are nothing.

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

The fact is because of the kind of person the Lord is, he won't give up on his people, because he was happy to claim you as his own.

23 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.

As for me, how could I sin against the Lord by no longer praying for you. I will also continue to teach you the way of goodness and right.

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

Make sure you honor God and worship him faithfully, with complete dedication. Think of all the tremendous things he has done for you.

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

But if you continue to do what is evil, you and your king will be wiped out.”