Kings I 12

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have listened to your voice in all things that you have said to me, and I have set a king over you.

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

2 And now, behold, the king goes before you; and I am grown old and shall rest; and, behold, my sons [are] amongst you; and, behold, I have gone about before you from my youth to this day.

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 Behold, [here am] I, answer against me before the Lord and before his anointed: whose calf have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom of you have I oppressed? or from whose hand have I taken a bribe, even [to] a sandal? bear witness against me, and I will make restitution to you.

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 And they said to Samuel, You have not injured us, and you have not oppressed us; and you have not afflicted us, and you have not taken anything from any one's hand.

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

5 And Samuel said to the people, The Lord [is] witness amongst you, and his anointed [is] witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand: and they said, [He is] witness.

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 And Samuel spoke to the people, saying, The Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron [is] witness, who brought our fathers up out of Egypt.

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 And now stand still, and I will judge you before the Lord; and I will relate to you all the righteousness of the Lord, the things which he has wrought amongst you and your fathers.

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 When Jacob and his sons went into Egypt, and Egypt humbled them, then our fathers cried to the Lord, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron; and they brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he made them to dwell in this place.

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 And they forgot the Lord their God, and he sold them into the hands of Sisara captain of the host of Jabis king of Asor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab; and he fought with them.

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 And they cried to the Lord, and said, We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and the groves: and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.

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 And he sent Jerobaal, and Barac, and Jephthae, and Samuel, and rescued us out of the hand of our enemies round about, and you lived in security.

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 And you saw that Naas king of the children of Ammon came against you, and you said, Nay, none but a king shall reign over us; whereas the Lord our God [is] our king.

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 And now behold the king whom you have chosen; and behold, the Lord has set a king over you.

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 If you should fear the Lord, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not resist the mouth of the Lord, and you and your king that reigns over you should follow the Lord, [well].

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 But if you should not listen to the voice of the Lord, and you should resist the mouth of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be upon you and upon your king.

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 And now stand still, and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes.

Even now present yourself and see this great thing which Yahweh will do before your eyes.

17 [Is it] not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; and know you and see, that your wickedness [is] great which you have wrought before the Lord, having asked for yourselves a king.

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 And Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunders and rain in that day; and all the people feared greatly the Lord and 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 And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, and let us not die; for we have added to all our sins this iniquity, in asking for us a king.

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 And Samuel said to the people, Fear not: you have [indeed] wrought all this iniquity; only turn not from following the Lord, and serve the Lord with all your heart.

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 And turn not aside after the [gods] that are nothing, who will do nothing, and will not deliver [you], because they are nothing.

Do not turn away after empty things that cannot profit or rescue you, because they are useless.

22 For the Lord will not cast off his people for his great name's sake, because the Lord graciously took you to himself for a people.

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 And far be it from me to sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will serve the Lord, and show you the good and the right way.

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 Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth and with all your heart, for you see what great things he has wrought with you.

Only fear Yahweh and serve him in truth with all your heart. Consider the great things he has done for you.

25 But if you continue to do evil, then shall you and your king be consumed.

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