1 Samuel 12

1Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to you in everything you said to me, and I have set a king over you.

2Now here is the king, who will lead you. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until this day.

3Here I am. Testify against me before Yahweh and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whom have I taken a bribe to make me look the other way? If I have, I will pay it back to you.”

4They answered, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, and you have not taken anything from anyone.”

5He said to them, “Yahweh is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is witness,” they said.

6Then Samuel said to the people, “Yahweh is the one who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of the land of Egypt.

7Now then, stand here, so that I may plead with you before Yahweh concerning all the righteous acts that Yahweh has done for you and for your ancestors.

8When Jacob went into Egypt, your ancestors cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

9But they forgot Yahweh their God, so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines and of the king of Moab, who fought against them.

10Then they cried out to Yahweh and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahweh and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now rescue us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve you.’

11So Yahweh sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and he rescued you from the power of your enemies on every side, so that you lived in safety.

12But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to reign over us’—even though Yahweh your God was your king.

13Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for. See, Yahweh has set a king over you.

14If you fear Yahweh and serve him and obey his voice and do not rebel against the command of Yahweh, then both you and the king who reigns over you will be following Yahweh your God.

15But if you do not obey the voice of Yahweh, and you rebel against the command of Yahweh, then the hand of Yahweh will be against you and your ancestors.

16Now then, stand still and see this great thing that Yahweh is about to do before your eyes.

17Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on Yahweh, and he will send thunder and rain. Then you will realize and see how great a wrong you have done in the sight of Yahweh by asking for a king for yourselves.”

18So Samuel called on Yahweh, and Yahweh sent thunder and rain that day. All the people stood in great awe of Yahweh and of Samuel.

19All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to Yahweh your God for your servants, so that we will not die, for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king for ourselves.”

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

21Do not turn aside, for then you would be going after empty things that cannot help or rescue, because they are empty.

22For the sake of his great name Yahweh will not abandon his people, because Yahweh has been pleased to make you his own people.

23As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the way that is good and right.

24Only fear Yahweh and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Consider what great things he has done for you.

25But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”