1 Samuel 12
12
Samuel’s Final Speech to Israel
1Samuel spoke to all the Israelites. He said, “I’ve done everything you asked me to do. I’ve placed a king over you. 2Now you have a king as your leader. But I’m old. My hair is gray. My sons are here with you. I’ve been your leader from the time I was young until this day. 3Here I stand. Bring charges against me if you can. The Lord is a witness. And so is his anointed king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I treated anyone badly? Have I accepted money from anyone who wanted special favors? If I’ve done any of these things, I’ll make it right.”
4“You haven’t cheated us,” they replied. “You haven’t treated us badly. You haven’t taken anything from anyone.”
5Samuel said to them, “The Lord is a witness against you this day. And so is his anointed king. They are witnesses that I haven’t taken anything from any of you.”
“The Lord is a witness,” they said.
6Then Samuel said to the people, “The Lord appointed Moses and Aaron. He brought out of Egypt your people who lived long ago. 7Now then, stand here. I’m going to remind you of all the good things the Lord has done for you and your people. He is a witness.
8“After Jacob’s family entered Egypt, they cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your people out of Egypt. They had them make their homes in this land.
9“But the people forgot the Lord their God. So he put them under the control of Sisera. Sisera was the commander of the army of Hazor. The Lord also put the Israelites under the control of the Philistines and the king of Moab. All those nations fought against Israel. 10So the people cried out to the Lord. They said, ‘We have sinned. We’ve deserted the Lord. We’ve served gods that are named Baal. We’ve served female gods that are named Ashtoreth. But save us now from the power of our enemies. Then we will serve you.’ 11The Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and me. He saved you from the power of your enemies who were all around you. So you lived in safety.
12“But then you saw that Nahash, the king of Ammon, was about to attack you. So you said to me, ‘No! We want a king to rule over us.’ You said it even though the Lord your God was your king. 13Now here is the king you have chosen. He’s the one you asked for. The Lord has placed a king over you. 14But you must have respect for the Lord. You must serve him and obey him. You must not say no to his commands. Both you and the king who rules over you must obey the Lord your God. If you do, that’s good. 15But you must not disobey him. You must not say no to his commands. If you do, his power will be against you. That’s what happened to your people who lived before you.
16“So stand still. Watch the great thing the Lord is about to do right here in front of you! 17It’s time to gather in the wheat, isn’t it? I’ll call out to the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what an evil thing you did in the sight of the Lord. You shouldn’t have asked for a king.”
18Samuel called out to the Lord. That same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people had great respect for the Lord and for Samuel.
19They said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us. Pray that we won’t die because we asked for a king. That was an evil thing to do. We added it to all our other sins.”
20“Don’t be afraid,” Samuel replied. “It’s true that you have done all these evil things. But don’t turn away from the Lord. Serve him with all your heart. 21Don’t turn away and worship statues of gods. They are useless. They can’t do you any good. They can’t save you either. They are completely useless. 22But the Lord will be true to his great name. He won’t turn his back on his people. That’s because he was pleased to make you his own people. 23I would never sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I’ll teach you to live in a way that is good and right. 24But be sure to have respect for the Lord. Serve him faithfully. Do it with all your heart. Think about the great things he has done for you. 25But don’t be stubborn. Don’t continue to do what is evil. If you do, both you and your king will be destroyed.”
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1 Samuel 12: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Shmuel Alef 12
12
1And Shmuel said unto kol Yisroel, Hinei, I have paid heed unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have set a Melech over you.
2And now, hinei, the Melech walketh before you; and I am old and grayheaded; and, hinei, my banim are with you; and I have walked before you from my youth unto hayom hazeh.
3Hineni (here I am); testify against me before Hashem, and before His Moshiach. Whose shor (ox) have I taken? Or whose chamor (donkey) have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose yad have I accepted any kofer to blind mine eyes therewith? And I will restitution make to you.
4And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken anything from any yad ish.
5And he said unto them, Ed Hashem (Hashemis witness) against you, and His Moshiach is ed (witness) this day, that ye have not found anything in my yad. And they answered, He is Ed (witness).
6And Shmuel said unto HaAm, It is Hashem that made Moshe and Aharon, and that brought avoteichem up out of Eretz Mitzrayim.
7Now therefore stand still, that I may enter into shofet judgment with you before Hashem of kol tzidkot (all the righteous acts ),#12:7 of Hashem which He made for you and avoteichem.
8When Ya'akov was come into Mitzrayim, and avoteichem cried unto Hashem, then Hashem sent Moshe and Aharon, which brought forth avoteichem out of Mitzrayim, and made them dwell in this makom (place).
9And when they forgot Hashem Eloheihem, He sold them into the yad Sisra, Sar Tzeva Chatzor, and into the yad Pelishtim, and into the yad Melech Moav, and they fought against them.
10And they cried unto Hashem, and said, Chatanu (we have sinned), because we have forsaken Hashem, and have served Ba'alim and Ashtarot; but now deliver us out of the yad oyeveinu (power, hand of our enemies), and we will serve Thee.
11And Hashem sent Yeruba'al,#12:11 Gideon and Bedan, and Yiftach, and Shmuel, and delivered you out of the yad oyeveichem on every side, and ye dwelled betach (in safety).
12And when ye saw that Nachash Melech Bnei Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, No; but a Melech shall reign over us: when Hashem Eloheichem was your Melech.
13Now therefore behold the Melech whom ye have chosen, and for whom ye have made request! And, hinei, Hashem hath set a Melech over you.
14If ye will fear Hashem, and serve Him, and obey His voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Hashem, then shall both ye and also the Melech that reigneth over you continue following after Hashem Eloheichem;
15But if ye will not obey the voice of Hashem, but rebel against the commandment of Hashem, then shall the yad Hashem be against you, as it was against avoteichem.
16Now therefore stand and see this davar hagadol (great thing), which Hashem will make before your eyes.
17Is it not ketzir chittim (wheat harvest) today? I will call unto Hashem, and He shall send kolot (thunder) and matar (rain); that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is rabbah (great), which ye have made in the eyes of Hashem, in requesting for you a Melech.
18So Shmuel called unto Hashem; and Hashem sent kolot and matar that day; and kol HaAm greatly feared Hashem and Shmuel.
19And kol HaAm said unto Shmuel, Pray for thy avadim unto Hashem Eloheicha, that we die not; for we have added unto kol chattoteinu (all our sins) this ra'ah (evil), to ask for us a Melech.
20And Shmuel said unto HaAm, Fear not; ye have done kol hara'ah hazot (all this wickedness); yet turn not aside from following Hashem, but serve Hashem with kol levavchem;
21And turn ye not aside; for then should ye go after hatohu (the vain, empty thing, idol), which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are tohu (vain, empty).
22For Hashem will not forsake His people for the sake of Shmo Hagedol; because it hath pleased Hashem to make you His people.
23Moreover, as for me, chalilah (far be it) from me that I should sin against Hashem in ceasing to pray for you; but horeiti (I will teach) you the derech hatovah v'hayesharah (the good and upright way);
24Only fear Hashem, and serve Him in emes with kol levavchem; for consider what great things He hath done for you.
25But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your Melech.
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