1 Samuel 12
1Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2Now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and gray-headed; and behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth to this day. 3Here I am. Witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind my eyes therewith? I will 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.”
5 He said to them, “The LORD 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.” 6Samuel said to the people, “It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.
8 “When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.
9 “But they forgot the LORD 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. 10They cried to the LORD, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11The LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.
12 “When you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us;’ when the LORD your God was your king. 13Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for: and behold, the LORD has set a king over you. 14If you will fear the LORD, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of the LORD your God. 15But if you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then will the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.
16 “Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. 17Isn’t it wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, 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 the LORD, in asking for a king.”
18 So Samuel called to the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.”
20 Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet don’t turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21Don’t turn aside to go after vain things which can’t profit nor deliver, for they are vain. 22For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people to himself. 23Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he has done for you. 25But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king.”
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