1 Samuel 12

1 And Samuel saith unto all Israel, 'Lo, I have hearkened to your voice, to all that ye said to me, and I cause to reign over you a king,

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.

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

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.

3 'Lo, here [am] I; testify against me, over-against Jehovah, and over-against His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose ass have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide mine eyes with it? — and I restore to you.'

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."

4 And they say, 'Thou hast not oppressed us, nor hast thou crushed us, nor hast thou taken from the hand of any one anything.'

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

5 And he saith unto them, 'A witness [is] Jehovah against you: and a witness [is] His anointed this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand;' and they say, 'A witness.'

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."

6 And Samuel saith unto the people, 'Jehovah — He who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought up your fathers out of the land of Egypt!

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

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

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.

8 'When Jacob hath come in to Egypt, and your fathers cry unto Jehovah, then Jehovah sendeth Moses and Aaron, and they bring out your fathers from Egypt, and cause them to dwell in this place,

"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.

9 and they forget Jehovah their God, and He selleth 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,

"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.

10 and they cry unto Jehovah, and say, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah, and serve the Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and now, deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we serve Thee.

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.'

11 'And Jehovah sendeth Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivereth you out of the hand of your enemies round about, and ye dwell confidently.

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.

12 'And ye see that Nahash king of the Bene-Ammon hath come against you, and ye say to me, Nay, but a king doth reign over us; and Jehovah your God [is] your king!

"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.

13 And, now, lo, the king whom ye have chosen — whom ye have asked! and lo, Jehovah hath placed over you a king.

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

14 'If ye fear Jehovah, and have served Him, and hearkened to His voice, then ye do not provoke the mouth of Jehovah, and ye have been — both ye and the king who hath reigned over you — after Jehovah your God.

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.

15 'And if ye do not hearken to the voice of Jehovah — then ye have provoked the mouth of Jehovah, and the hand of Jehovah hath been against you, and against your fathers.

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.

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

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

17 is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Jehovah, and He doth give voices and rain; and know ye and see that your evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for you a king.'

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."

18 And Samuel calleth unto Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth voices and rain, on that day, and all the people greatly fear Jehovah and Samuel;

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

19 and all the people say unto Samuel, 'Pray for thy servants unto Jehovah thy God, and we do not die, for we have added to all our sins evil to ask for us a king.'

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."

20 And Samuel saith unto the people, 'Fear not; ye have done all this evil; only, turn not aside from after Jehovah — and ye have served Jehovah with all your heart,

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.

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

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

22 for Jehovah doth not leave His people, on account of His great name; for Jehovah hath been pleased to make you to Him for a people.

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.

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

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.

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

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

25 and if ye really do evil, both ye and your king are consumed.'

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