1 Samuel 12

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

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.

2 And now the king goeth before you: but I am old and greyheaded: and my sons are with you: having then conversed with you from my youth unto this day, behold here I am.

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.

3 Speak of me before the Lord, and before his anointed, whether I have taken any man’s ox, or ass: If I have wronged any man, if I have oppressed any man, if I have taken a bribe at any man’s hand: and I will despise it this day, and will restore it to you.

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!«

4 And they said: Thou hast not wronged us, nor oppressed us, nor taken ought at any man’s hand.

Da sagde de: »Du har ikke undertrykt os eller gjort os Uret eller taget noget fra nogen.«

5 And he said to them: The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found any thing in my hand. And they said: He is witness.

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!«

6 And Samuel said to the people: It is the Lord, who made Moses and Aaron, and brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt.

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

7 Now therefore stand up, that I may plead in judgment against you before the Lord, concerning all the kindness of the Lord, which he hath shewn to you, and to your fathers:

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.

8 How Jacob went into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the Lord: and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and brought your fathers out of Egypt: and made them dwell in this place.

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.

9 And they forgot the Lord their God, and he delivered them into the hands of Sisara, captain of the army of Hasor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

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.

10 But afterwards they cried to the Lord, and said: We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Astaroth: but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

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!

11 And the Lord sent Jerobaal, and Badan, and Jephte, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies round about, and you dwelt securely.

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.

12 But seeing that Naas king of the children of Ammon was come against you, you said to me: Nay, but a king shall reign over us: whereas the Lord your God was your king.

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!

13 Now therefore your king is here, whom you have chosen and desired: Behold the Lord hath given you a king.

Og nu, her staar Kongen, som I har valgt og krævet; se, HERREN har sat en Konge over eder!

14 If you will fear the Lord, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and not provoke the mouth of the Lord: then shall both you, and the king who reigneth over you, be followers of the Lord your God.

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.

15 But if you will not hearken to the voice of the Lord, but will rebel against his words, the hand of the Lord shall be upon you, and upon your fathers.

Adlyder I derimod ikke HERRENS Røst, men er genstridige mod HERRENS Bud, da skal HERRENS Haand ramme eder og eders Konge og ødelægge eder.

16 Now then stand, and see this great thing which the Lord will do in your sight.

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

17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain: and you shall know and see that you yourselves have done a great evil in the sight of the Lord, in desiring a king over you.

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!«

18 And Samuel cried unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day.

Derpaa raabte Samuel til HERREN, og HERREN sendte samme Dag Torden og Regn. Da frygtede hele Folket saare for HERREN og Samuel,

19 And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel: Pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.

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!«

20 And Samuel said to the people: Fear not, you have done all this evil: but yet depart not from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

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

21 And turn not aside after vain things which shall never profit you, nor deliver you, because they are vain.

og vend eder ikke til dem, som er Tomhed og hverken kan hjælpe eller frelse, fordi de er Tomhed.

22 And the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because the Lord hath sworn to make you his people.

Thi for sit store Navns Skyld vil HERREN ikke forstøde sit Folk, da det jo har behaget HERREN at gøre eder til sit Folk.

23 And far from me be this sin against the Lord, that I should cease to pray for you, and I will teach you the good and right way.

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;

24 Therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in truth and with your whole heart, for you have seen the great works which he hath done among you.

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

25 But if you will still do wickedly: both you and your king shall perish together.

Men hvis I handler ilde, skal baade I og eders Konge gaa til Grunde!«