1 Samuel 12
12
Samuel Addresses Israel
1Then Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in everything that you have said to me and have appointed a king over you. 2And now, here is the king walking before you. As for me, I am old and gray, and here are my sons with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day. 3Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and [Saul] His anointed [if I have done someone wrong]. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes [to the truth]? [Tell me and] I will restore it to you.” 4They said, “You have not exploited us or oppressed us or taken anything at all from a man’s hand.” 5Samuel said to them, “The Lord is a witness against you, and [Saul] His anointed is a witness this day that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they answered, “He is a witness.”
6Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers (ancestors) up from the land of Egypt. 7Now then, take your stand, so that I may plead and contend with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did for you and for your fathers. 8When Jacob [and his sons] had come into Egypt [and later when the Egyptians oppressed them] and your #12:8 I.e. the descendants of Jacob (Israel) and his twelve sons.fathers cried out to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. 9But when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of #12:9 These may be representatives of Israel’s enemies during the time of the Judges: Sisera of Hazor to the north, the Philistines to the west, and Moab to the south and west.Sisera, commander of Hazor’s army, and into the hand of the Philistines and of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 10They cried out to the Lord, saying, ‘We have sinned because we have abandoned (rejected) the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now rescue us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ 11Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal (Gideon) and #12:11 Greek and Syriac read Barak.Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and He rescued you from the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in security.
The King Confirmed
12But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites had come against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us’—although the Lord your God was your King. 13Now therefore, here is [Saul] the king whom you have chosen, and for whom you asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14If you will fear the Lord [with awe and profound reverence] and serve Him and listen to His voice and not rebel against His commandment, then both you and your king will follow the Lord your God [and it will be well]. 15But if you do not listen to the Lord’s voice, but rebel against His #12:15 Lit mouth.command, then the hand of the Lord will be against you [to punish you], as it was against your fathers. 16So now, take your stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. 17Is it not [the beginning of the] wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord and He will send thunder and rain; then you will know [without any doubt], and see that your evil which you have done is great in the sight of the Lord by asking for yourselves a king.” 18So Samuel called to the Lord [in prayer], and He sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
19Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, #12:19 The fifty days between the beginning of the barley harvest (Passover) and the end of the wheat harvest (Pentecost) are called the “days of trepidation.” During these fifty days, the farmers pray that it will not rain because all the major crops of the land (the seven varieties of Deut 8:7-10) come to fruition during this time. The rain destroys crops in the field and any produce that has been harvested and covered. The resulting famine from the crop failure would result in many deaths.so that we will not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil—to ask for a king for ourselves.” 20Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid. You have [indeed] done all this evil; yet do not turn away from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21You must not turn away, for then you would go after futile things which cannot profit or rescue, because they are futile. 22The Lord will not abandon His people for His great name’s sake, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. 23Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. 24Only fear the Lord [with awe and profound reverence] and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. 25But if you still do evil, both you and your king will be swept away [to destruction].”
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1 Samuel 12
12
Samuel's Farewell Speech
1Samuel told the Israelites:
I have given you a king, just as you asked. 2You have seen how I have led you ever since I was a young man. I'm already old. My hair is gray, and my own sons are grown. Now you must see how well your king will lead you.
3 #
Si 46.19. Let me ask this. Have I ever taken anyone's ox or donkey or forced you to give me anything? Have I ever hurt anyone or taken a bribe to give an unfair decision? Answer me so the Lord and his chosen king can hear you. And if I have done any of these things, I will give it all back.
4“No,” the Israelites answered. “You've never cheated us in any way!”
5Samuel said, “The Lord and his chosen king are witnesses to what you have said.”
“That's true,” they replied.
6 #
Ex 6.26. Then Samuel told them:
The Lord brought your ancestors out of Egypt and chose Moses and Aaron to be your leaders. 7Now the Lord will be your judge. So stand here and listen, while I remind you how often the Lord has saved you and your ancestors from your enemies.
8 #
Ex 2.23. After Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your ancestors out of Egypt and led them here to settle this land. 9#Jg 4.2; Jg 13.1; Jg 3.12. But your ancestors forgot the Lord, so he let them be defeated by the Philistines, the king of Moab, and Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army.
10 #
Jg 10.10-15. #3 Macc 2.12. Again your ancestors cried out to the Lord for help. They said, “We have sinned! We stopped worshiping you, our Lord, and started worshiping Baal and Astarte. But now, if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you.”
11 #
Jg 7.1;
Jg 4.6;
Jg 11.29;
1 S 3.20. The Lord sent Gideon,#12.11 Gideon: The Hebrew text has “Jerubbaal,” another name for “Gideon.” Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to rescue you from your enemies, and you didn't have to worry about being attacked. 12#1 S 8.19. Then you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was going to attack you. And even though the Lord your God is your king, you told me, “This time it's different. We want a king to rule us!”
13You asked for a king, and you chose one. Now he stands here where all of you can see him. But it was really the Lord who made him your king. 14If you and your king want to be followers of the Lord, you must worship him#12.14 If … him: Or “If you and your king want things to go well for you, then you must worship the Lord.” and do what he says. Don't be stubborn! 15If you're stubborn and refuse to obey the Lord, he will turn against you and your king.#12.15 and your king: One ancient translation; Hebrew “and your ancestors” or “as he was against your ancestors.”
16Just stand here and watch the Lord show his mighty power. 17Isn't this the dry season?#12.17 the dry season: The Hebrew text has “time for wheat harvest,” which was usually in the spring, the beginning of the dry season. I'm going to ask the Lord to send a thunderstorm. When you see it, you will realize how wrong you were to ask for a king.
18Samuel prayed, and that same day the Lord sent a thunderstorm. Everyone was afraid of the Lord and of Samuel. 19They told Samuel, “Please, pray to the Lord your God for us! We don't want to die. We have sinned many times in the past, and we were very wrong to ask for a king.”
20Samuel answered:
Even though what you did was wrong, you don't need to be afraid. But you must always follow the Lord and worship him with all your heart. 21Don't worship idols! They don't have any power, and they can't help you or save you when you're in trouble. 22But the Lord has chosen you to be his own people. He will always take care of you so that everyone will know how great he is.
23I would be disobeying the Lord if I stopped praying for you! I will always teach you how to live right. 24You also must obey the Lord—you must worship him with all your heart and remember the great things he has done for you. 25But if you and your king do evil, the Lord will wipe you out.
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© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.