1 Samuel 12

1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Lo! I have hearkened unto your voice, in all that ye said to me, —and have set over you a king.

And Samuel said to all Israel, You see that I have given ear to everything you said to me, and have made a king over you.

2 Now, therefore, lo! the king going to and fro before you, But, I, am old and grey-headed, and, my sons, lo! they are with you, —But, I, have gone to and fro before you from my youth until this day.

And now, see, the king is before you: and I am old and grey-headed, and my sons are with you: I have been living before your eyes from my early days till now.

3 Behold me! testify against me, before Yahweh, and before his Anointed—Whose, ox, have I taken? or whose, ass, have I taken? or whom have I oppressed? Whom have I crushed? or at whose, hands, have I taken a bribe, to cover up mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it unto you.

Here I am: give witness against me before the Lord and before the man on whom he has put the holy oil: whose ox or ass have I taken? to whom have I been untrue? who has been crushed down by me? from whose hand have I taken a price for the blinding of my eyes? I will give it all back to you.

4 And they said, Thou hast not oppressed us, neither hast thou crushed us, —neither hast thou taken, at the hand of any man, any thing.

And they said, You have never been untrue to us or cruel to us; you have taken nothing from any man.

5 And he said unto them—Witness, is Yahweh against you, and, witness, is his Anointed, this day, that ye have not found in my hand, any thing! And they said: Witness!

Then he said, The Lord is witness against you, and the man on whom he has put the holy oil is witness this day that you have seen no wrong in me. And they said, He is witness.

6 And Samuel said unto the people: Witness, is Yahweh, who wrought with Moses and with Aaron, and who brought up your fathers out of the land of Egypt.

And Samuel said to the people, The Lord is witness, who gave authority to Moses and Aaron, and who took your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

7 Now, therefore, take your stand and let me plead with you, before Yahweh, —and tell you all the righteous acts of Yahweh, which he wrought with you, and with your fathers:

Keep your places now, while I take up the argument with you before the Lord, and give you the story of the righteousness of the Lord, which he has made clear by his acts to you and to your fathers.

8 How that, when Jacob had come into Egypt, —and your fathers had made outcry unto Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, and they brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and he caused them to dwell in this place;

When Jacob and his sons had come into Egypt, and were crushed by the Egyptians, the prayers of your fathers came up to the Lord, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who took your fathers out of Egypt, and he put them into this place.

9 And, when they forgat Yahweh their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, prince of the host of Jabin, king of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them;

But they were false to the Lord their God, and he gave them up into the hands of Sisera, captain of the army of Jabin, king of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab, who made war against them.

10 But, when they made outcry unto Yahweh and said—We have sinned, in that we have forsaken Yahweh, and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, —now, therefore, deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve thee,

Then crying out to the Lord, they said, We have done evil, because we have been turned away from the Lord, worshipping the Baals and the Astartes: but now, make us safe from those who are against us and we will be your servants.

11 then Yahweh sent Jerubbaal and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, —and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies, on every side, and ye dwelt in safety.

So the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and took you out of the power of those who were fighting against you on every side, and made you safe.

12 But, when ye saw that, Nahash king of the sons of Ammon, came upon you, then said ye unto me, Nay! but, a king, shall reign over us, when, Yahweh your God, was your king!

And when you saw that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, was coming against you, you said to me, No more of this; we will have a king for our ruler: when the Lord your God was your king.

13 Now, therefore, lo! the king whom ye have chosen, for whom ye have asked, —lo! therefore, Yahweh hath set over you a king.

Here, then, is the king marked out by you: the Lord has put a king over you.

14 If ye will revere Yahweh, and serve him, and hearken unto his voice, and not rebel against the bidding of Yahweh, then shall, both ye and your king that reigneth over you, continue to follow after Yahweh your God.

If in the fear of the Lord you are his servants, hearing his voice and not going against the orders of the Lord, but being true to the Lord your God, you and the king ruling over you, then all will be well:

15 But, if ye hearken not unto the voice of Yahweh, but rebel against the bidding of Yahweh, then will the hand of Yahweh continue to be against you, and against your fathers.

But if you do not give ear to the voice of the Lord, but go against his orders, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and against your king for your destruction, as it was against your fathers.

16 Even now, stand still and see this great thing, —which Yahweh is about to do before your eyes:

Now keep where you are and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes.

17 Is it not wheat harvest, to-day? I will cry unto Yahweh, that he may give forth thunderings and rain, —know ye then and see, that, your wrong, is great which ye have done in the sight of Yahweh, in asking for yourselves, a king.

Is it not now the time of the grain cutting? My cry will go up to the Lord and he will send thunder and rain: so that you may see and be conscious of your great sin which you have done in the eyes of the Lord in desiring a king for yourselves.

18 So Samuel cried unto Yahweh, and Yahweh gave forth thunderings and rain, on that day, —and all the people greatly feared Yahweh, and Samuel.

So Samuel made prayer to the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people were in fear of the Lord and of Samuel.

19 And all the people said unto Samuel—Pray for thy servants, unto Yahweh thy God, and let it not be that we die, —For we have added, to all our sins, a wrong, in asking for ourselves a king.

And all the people said to Samuel, Make prayer for us to the Lord your God so that death may not overtake us: for in addition to all our sins we have done this evil, in desiring a king.

20 Then said Samuel unto the people—Do not fear, ye, have done all this wrong, —nevertheless, do not turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh, with all your heart;

Then Samuel said to the people, Have no fear: truly you have done evil, but do not be turned away from the Lord; be his servants with all your heart;

21 and turn not aside after vanities, that can neither profit nor deliver, because, vanities, they are.

And do not go from the right way turning to those false gods in which there is no profit and no salvation, for they are false.

22 For Yahweh will not give up his people, because of his great name, for Yahweh was minded to make you his people.

For the Lord will not give his people up, because of the honour of his name; for it was the Lord's pleasure to make of you a people for himself.

23 As for me also, far be it from me, that I should sin against Yahweh, by ceasing to pray for you, —but I will direct you, in the good and right way.

And as for me, never will I go against the orders of the Lord by giving up my prayers for you: but I will go on teaching you the good and right way.

24 Only, revere Yahweh, and serve him in truth, with all your heart, —for see, what great things he hath done with you.

Only go in the fear of the Lord, and be his true servants with all your heart, keeping in mind what great things he has done for you.

25 But, if ye, will do wrong, both ye and your king shall be swept away.

But if you still do evil, destruction will overtake you and your king.