1 Samuel 12

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

2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before YHWH, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand.

5 And he said unto them, YHWH is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

6 And Samuel said unto the people, It is YHWH that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before YHWH of all the righteous acts of YHWH, which he did to you and to your fathers.

8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto YHWH, then YHWH sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

9 And when they forgat YHWH their Elohim, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10 And they cried unto YHWH, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken YHWH, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

11 And YHWH sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when YHWH your Elohim was your king.

13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, YHWH hath set a king over you.

14 If ye will fear YHWH, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of YHWH, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following YHWH your Elohim:

15 But if ye will not obey the voice of YHWH, but rebel against the commandment of YHWH, then shall the hand of YHWH be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which YHWH will do before your eyes.

17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto YHWH, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of YHWH, in asking you a king.

18 So Samuel called unto YHWH; and YHWH sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared YHWH and Samuel.

19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto YHWH thy Elohim, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following YHWH, but serve YHWH with all your heart;

21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

22 For YHWH will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased YHWH to make you his people.

23 Moreover as for me, Elohim forbid that I should sin against YHWH in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

24 Only fear YHWH, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.