1 Samuel 12

1 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.

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.

2 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.

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.

3 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.”

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.”

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

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

5 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.

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.

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

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.

7 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.

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.

8 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.

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.

9 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.

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.

10 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.’

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.’

11 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.

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.

12 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.

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.

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

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

14 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!

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.

15 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.

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.

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

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

17 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.”

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.”

18 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.

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.

19 “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.”

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.”

20 “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.

“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.

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

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

22 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.

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

23 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.

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.

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

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

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

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