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.

Samuel then said vnto all Israel, Behold, I haue hearkened vnto your voyce in all that yee sayde vnto mee, and haue appoynted a King ouer you.

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 therefore behold, your King walketh before you, and I am old and graie headed, and beholde, my sonnes are with you: and I haue walked before you from my childehood vnto 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.”

Beholde, here I am: beare recorde of me before the Lord and before his Anointed. Whose oxe haue I taken? or whose asse haue I taken? or whome haue I done wrong to? or whome haue I hurt? or of whose hande haue I receiued any bribe, to blinde mine eyes therewith, and I will restore it you?

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

Then they sayde, Thou hast done vs no wrong, nor hast hurt vs, neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand.

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.

And he saide vnto them, The Lord is witnesse against you, and his Anointed is witnesse this day, that yee haue founde nought in mine handes. And they answered, He is witnesse.

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 sayde vnto the people, It is the Lord that made Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers 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.

Nowe therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord according to all the righteousnesse of the Lord, which he shewed to you and to 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.

After that Iaakob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried vnto the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron which brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell 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.

And when they forgate the Lord their God, he solde them into the hand of Sisera captaine of the hoste of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistims, and into the hande of the king of Moab, and they 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.’

And they cried vnto the Lord, and saide, We haue sinned, because we haue forsaken the Lord, and haue serued Baalim and Ashtaroth. Nowe therefore deliuer vs out of the handes of our enemies, and we will serue thee.

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.

Therefore the Lord sent Ierubbaal and Bedan and Iphtaph, and Samuel, and deliuered you out of the handes of your enemies on euery side, and yee dwelled safe.

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.

Notwithstanding when you sawe, that Nahash the King of the children of Ammon came against you, ye sayde vnto me, No, but a King shall reigne ouer vs: when yet 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!

Nowe therefore beholde the King whome yee haue chosen, and whome yee haue desired: loe therefore, the Lord hath set a King ouer 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 ye wil feare the Lord and serue him, and heare his voyce, and not disobey the worde of the Lord, both yee, and the King that reigneth ouer you, shall follow the Lord your God.

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 yee will not obey the voyce of the Lord, but disobey the Lordes mouth, then shall the hand of the Lord be vpon you, and on your fathers.

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

Nowe also stande and see this great thing which the Lord will doe 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 nowe wheat haruest? I wil call vnto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and raine, that yee may perceiue and see, howe that your wickednesse is great, which ye haue done in the sight of the Lord in asking you 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.

Then Samuel called vnto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and raine the same day: and all the people feared the Lord and Samuel exceedingly.

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.”

And all the people said vnto Samuel, Pray for thy seruaunts vnto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we haue sinned in asking vs a King, beside all our other sinnes.

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.

And Samuel said vnto the people, Feare not. (ye haue indeede done all this wickednesse, yet depart not from following the Lord, but serue the Lord with all your heart,

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

Neither turne yee backe: for that shoulde be after vaine things which cannot profite you, nor deliuer you, for they are but vanitie)

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.

For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great Names sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.

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.

Moreouer God forbid, that I should sinne against the Lord, and cease praying for you, but I will shewe 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.

Therefore feare you the Lord, and serue him in the trueth with all your hearts, and consider howe great things he hath done for you.

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

But if ye doe wickedly, ye shall perish, both yee, and your King.