I Samuelis 12

1 Dixit autem Samuel ad universum Israel: Ecce audivi vocem vestram iuxta omnia quae locuti estis ad me, et constitui super vos regem.

Then Samuel said to all of Israel, “I have paid attention to everything you asked from me, and I have given you a king to rule over you.

2 Et nunc rex graditur ante vos: ego autem senui, et incanui: porro filii mei vobiscum sunt: itaque conversatus coram vobis ab adolescentia mea usque ad hanc diem, ecce praesto sum.

Now your king is your leader. I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from the time I was a boy up to today.

3 Loquimini de me coram Domino, et coram Christo eius, utrum bovem cuiusquam tulerim, aut asinum: si quempiam calumniatus sum, si oppressi aliquem, si de manu cuiusquam munus accepi: et contemnam illud hodie, restituamque vobis.

I stand here before you. Bring any charges you have against me in the presence of the Lord and of his anointed one. Have I taken anyone's ox or donkey? Have I wronged anyone? Have I oppressed anyone? Have I accepted a bribe from anyone to turn a blind eye? Tell me, and I will repay you.”

4 Et dixerunt: Non es calumniatus nos, neque oppressisti, neque tulisti de manu alicuius quippiam.

“No, you have never cheated or oppressed us,” they replied, “and you have never taken anything from anyone.”

5 Dixitque ad eos: Testis est Dominus adversum vos, et testis Christus eius in die hac, quia non inveneritis in manu mea quippiam. Et dixerunt: Testis.

Samuel told them, “The Lord is a witness, and his anointed is a witness today, in this case involving you, that you have not found me guilty of anything.” “He is a witness,” they replied.

6 Et ait Samuel ad populum: Dominus qui fecit Moysen et Aaron, et eduxit patres nostros de Terra Aegypti, adest.

“The Lord is a witness, he who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel went on. “He led your forefathers out of the land of Egypt.

7 Nunc ergo state, ut iudicio contendam adversum vos coram Domino de omnibus misericordiis Domini, quas fecit vobiscum et cum patribus vestris:

So stand here as I present to you in the presence of the Lord the evidence of all the good things the Lord has done for you and your forefathers.

8 quo modo Iacob ingressus est in Aegyptum, et clamaverunt patres vestri ad Dominum: et misit Dominus Moysen et Aaron, et eduxit patres vestros de Aegypto: et collocavit eos in loco hoc.

After Jacob had gone to Egypt, your fathers cried out to the Lord for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron to lead your forefathers out of Egypt and settle them here.

9 Qui obliti sunt Domini Dei sui, et tradidit eos in manu Sisarae magistri militiae Hasor, et in manu Philisthinorum, et in manu regis Moab, et pugnaverunt adversum eos.

But they forgot about the Lord their God, so he abandoned them to Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab, who attacked them.

10 Postea autem clamaverunt ad Dominum, et dixerunt: Peccavimus, quia dereliquimus Dominum, et servivimus Baalim et Astaroth: nunc ergo erue nos de manu inimicorum nostrorum, et serviemus tibi.

They cried out to the Lord for help and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have rejected the Lord and worshiped the Baals and Ashtoreths. Please save us from the hands of our enemies, and we will worship you.’

11 Et misit Dominus Ierobaal, et Badan, et Samson, et Barac, et Iephte, et Samuel, et eruit vos de manu inimicorum vestrorum per circuitum, et habitastis confidenter.

Then the Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he saved you from your enemies who surrounded you so you could live in safety.

12 Videntes autem quod Naas rex filiorum Ammon venisset adversum vos, dixistis mihi: Nequaquam, sed rex imperabit nobis: cum Dominus Deus vester regnaret in vobis.

But when you saw that Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was coming to attack you, you told me, ‘No, we want our own king,’ even though the Lord your God was your king.

13 Nunc ergo praesto est rex vester, quem elegistis et petistis: ecce dedit vobis Dominus regem.

So here's the king you have chosen, the one you asked for. Look—the Lord now gives him to you as your king!

14 Si timueritis Dominum, et servieritis ei, et audieritis vocem eius, et non exasperaveritis os Domini: eritis et vos, et rex qui imperat vobis, sequentes Dominum Deum vestrum.

If you honor the Lord, worship him, do what he tells you, and don't rebel against the Lord's instructions, and if both you and your king follow the Lord your God, then good!

15 si autem non audieritis vocem Domini, sed exasperaveritis sermones eius, erit manus Domini super vos, sicut et super patres vestros.

However, if you refuse to do what he tells you, and rebel against the Lord's instructions, then the Lord will be against you as he was against your forefathers.

16 Sed et nunc state, et videte rem istam grandem quam facturus est Dominus in conspectu vestro.

Now stand still and watch what the Lord is going to do, right before your very eyes.

17 Numquid non messis tritici est hodie? invocabo Dominum, et dabit voces et pluvias: et scietis, et videbitis quia grande malum feceritis vobis in conspectu Domini, petentes super vos regem.

Isn't it the time of wheat harvest? Well, I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize how very evil you were in the Lord's sight when you demanded your own king.”

18 Et clamavit Samuel ad Dominum, et dedit Dominus voces et pluvias in illa die.

Then Samuel prayed to the Lord, and that very day the Lord sent thunder and rain. Everyone was in absolute awe of the Lord and of Samuel.

19 Et timuit omnis populus nimis Dominum et Samuelem, et dixit universus populus ad Samuelem: Ora pro servis tuis ad Dominum Deum tuum, ut non moriamur. addidimus enim universis peccatis nostris malum, ut peteremus nobis regem.

“Please pray to the Lord your God for us your servants, so we will not die!” they begged Samuel. “For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for our own king.”

20 Dixit autem Samuel ad populum: Nolite timere, vos fecistis universum malum hoc: verumtamen nolite recedere a tergo Domini, sed servite Domino in omni corde vestro.

“Don't be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have indeed done all these evil things, don't give up following the Lord, but dedicate yourselves completely to worshiping him.

21 Et nolite declinare post vana, quae non proderunt vobis, neque eruent vos, quia vana sunt.

Don't worship worthless idols that can't help you or save you, for they are nothing.

22 Et non derelinquet Dominus populum suum propter nomen suum magnum: quia iuravit Dominus facere vos sibi populum.

The fact is because of the kind of person the Lord is, he won't give up on his people, because he was happy to claim you as his own.

23 Absit autem a me hoc peccatum in Domino, ut cessem orare pro vobis, et docebo vos viam bonam et rectam.

As for me, how could I sin against the Lord by no longer praying for you. I will also continue to teach you the way of goodness and right.

24 Igitur timete Dominum, et servite ei in veritate, et ex toto corde vestro. vidistis enim magnifica quae in vobis gesserit.

Make sure you honor God and worship him faithfully, with complete dedication. Think of all the tremendous things he has done for you.

25 Quod si perseveraveritis in malitia: et vos et rex vester pariter peribitis.

But if you continue to do what is evil, you and your king will be wiped out.”