1 Samuel 12

1 Samuel said to all Israel, "Look, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.

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,

2 Now, look, the king walks before you; and I am old and gray-headed; and look, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth to this day.

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.

3 Here I am. Testify against me before YHWH, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe, or a shoe? Testify against me, and I will restore it to you."

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.”

4 They said, "You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything of any man's hand."

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

5 He said to them, "YHWH is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." They said, "He is witness."

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.”

6 Samuel said to the people, "It is YHWH who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of Egypt.

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!

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

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.

8 "When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, and your fathers cried to YHWH, then YHWH sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.

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,

9 "But they forgot YHWH their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.

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,

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

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.

11 YHWH sent Jerubbaal, and Barak, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.

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.

12 "When you saw that Nahash the king of the people of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us;' when YHWH your God was your king.

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!

13 Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for: and look, YHWH has set a king over you.

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

14 If you will fear YHWH, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of YHWH, and both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of YHWH your God, then he will rescue you.

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.

15 But if you will not listen to the voice of YHWH, but rebel against the commandment of YHWH, then the hand of YHWH will be against you, and against your king to destroy you.

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.

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

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

17 Isn't it wheat harvest today? I will call to YHWH, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of YHWH, in asking for a king."

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.”

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

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

19 All the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to YHWH your God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask us a king."

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.”

20 Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet do not turn aside from following YHWH, but serve YHWH with all your heart.

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,

21 Do not turn aside to go after vain things which can't profit nor deliver, for they are vain.

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

22 For YHWH will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it has pleased YHWH to make you a people to himself.

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.

23 Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against YHWH in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

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;

24 Only fear YHWH, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.

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

25 But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king."

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