1 Samuel 12

1 And Samuel says to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice, to all that you said to me, and I cause a king to reign over you,

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.

2 and now, behold, the king is habitually walking before you, and I have become aged and gray-headed, and my sons, behold, they [are] with you, and I have habitually walked before you from my youth until this day.

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

3 Behold, here I [am]; testify against me before YHWH, and before His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose donkey have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide my eyes with it? And I restore [it] to you.”

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.

4 And they say, “You have not oppressed us, nor have you crushed us, nor have you taken anything from the hand of anyone.”

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.

5 And he says to them, “YHWH [is] a witness against you, and His anointed [is] a witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand”; and they say, “A witness.”

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

6 And Samuel says to the people, “YHWH [is] He who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought up your fathers out of the land of Egypt!

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

7 And now, station yourselves, and I judge you before YHWH, with all the righteous acts of YHWH, which He did with you, and with your fathers.

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 among you and your fathers.

8 When Jacob has come to Egypt, and your fathers cry to YHWH, then YHWH sends Moses and Aaron, and they bring out your fathers from Egypt, and cause them to dwell in this place,

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.

9 and they forget their God YHWH, and He sells them into the hand of Sisera, head of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fight against them,

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.

10 and they cry to YHWH, and say, We have sinned, because we have forsaken YHWH, and serve the Ba‘alim, and Ashtaroth, and now, deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we serve You.

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.

11 And YHWH sends Jerubba‘al, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivers you out of the hand of your surrounding enemies, and you dwell confidently.

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.

12 And you see that Nahash king of the sons of Ammon has come against you, and you say to me, No, but a king reigns over us; and your God YHWH [is] your king!

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.

13 And now, behold the king whom you have chosen—whom you have asked for! And behold, YHWH has placed a king over you.

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

14 If you fear YHWH, and have served Him, and listened to His voice, then you do not provoke the mouth of YHWH, and you have been—both you and the king who has reigned over you—after your God YHWH.

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].

15 And if you do not listen to the voice of YHWH—then you have provoked the mouth of YHWH, and the hand of YHWH has been against you, and against your fathers.

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.

16 Also now, station yourselves and see this great thing which YHWH is doing before your eyes;

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

17 is it not wheat-harvest today? I call to YHWH, and He gives voices and rain; and know and see that your evil is great which you have done in the eyes of YHWH, to ask [for] a king for yourselves.”

[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.

18 And Samuel calls to YHWH, and YHWH gives voices and rain on that day, and all the people greatly fear YHWH and Samuel;

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.

19 and all the people say to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to your God YHWH, and we do not die, for we have added evil to all our sins to ask [for] a king for ourselves.”

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.

20 And Samuel says to the people, “Do not fear; you have done all this evil; only, do not turn aside from after YHWH—and you have served YHWH with all your heart,

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.

21 and you do not turn aside after the vain things which do not profit nor deliver, for they [are] vain,

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

22 for YHWH does not leave His people, on account of His great Name; for YHWH has been pleased to make you for a people to Him.

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.

23 I, also, far be it from me to sin against YHWH, by ceasing to pray for you, and I have directed you in the good and upright way;

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.

24 only, fear YHWH, and you have served Him in truth with all your heart, for see that which He has made great with you;

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.

25 and if you really do evil, both you and your king are consumed.”

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