1 Samuel 12
12
1 Samuel 12
1¶ And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me and have made a king over you.
2And now, behold, your king walks before you. I am old and grayheaded, and, behold, my sons are with you, and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.
3Behold, here I am; witness against me before the Lord and before his anointed. If I have taken anyone’s ox or if I have taken anyone’s ass or if I have defrauded anyone or if I have oppressed anyone or if I have received a bribe {Heb. ransom} from anyone to blind my eyes, I will restore it you.
4And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us; neither hast thou taken anything of any man’s hand.
5And he said unto them, The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day that ye have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.
6¶ Then Samuel said unto the people, The Lord is he who advanced Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7Now, therefore, stand still that I may contend with you before the Lord of all the righteousnesses of the Lord which he did to you and to your fathers.
8After Jacob had entered into Egypt and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.
9And when they forgot the Lord their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.
10And they cried unto the Lord and said, We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baalim and Ashtaroth, but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
11Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt safe.
12And when ye saw that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon, came against you, ye said unto me, No, but a king shall reign over us when the Lord your God was your king.
13Now, therefore, behold the king whom ye have chosen and whom ye have desired! Behold, the Lord has set a king over you.
14If ye will fear the Lord and serve him and hear his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigns over you continue following the Lord your God.
15But if ye will not hear the voice of the Lord but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord shall be against you as it was against your fathers.
16¶ Now, therefore, stand and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes.
17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great which ye have done in the sight of the Lord in asking for a king over you.
18So Samuel called unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
19And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy slaves unto the Lord thy God that we not die, for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask for a king over us.
20And Samuel said unto the people, Do not fear. Ye have done all this wickedness, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;
21do not turn aside after vain things which cannot 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 his people.
23Moreover as for me, in no wise should I sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way.
24Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart, for consider what great things he has done with you.
25But if ye shall persevere in doing wickedly, both ye and your king shall perish.
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1 Samuel 12: JUB
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The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International