1 Kings 12
12
1And Samuel said to all Israel: Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.
2And now the king goeth before you. But I am old and greyheaded: and my sons are with you. Having then conversed with you from my youth unto this day, behold here I am.
3Speak of me before the Lord, and before his anointed, whether I have taken any man's ox, or ass: If I have wronged any man: If I have oppressed any man: If I have taken a bribe at any man's hand: and I will despise it this day, and will restore it to you.
4And they said: Thou hast not wronged us, nor oppressed us, nor taken ought at any man's hand.
5And he said to them: The Lord is witness against you; and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found any thing in my hand. And they said: He is witness.
6And Samuel said to the people: It is the Lord, who made Moses and Aaron, and brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt.
7Now therefore stand up, that I may plead in judgment against you before the Lord, concerning all the kindness of the Lord, which he hath shewn to you, and to your fathers:
8How Jacob went into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the Lord: and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and brought your fathers out of Egypt: and made them dwell in this place.
9And they forgot the Lord their God: and he delivered them into the hands of Sisara, captain of the army of Hasor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.
10But afterwards they cried to the Lord, and said: We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Astaroth. But now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
11And the Lord sent Jerobaal, and Badan, and Jephte, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies round about: and you dwelt securely.
12But seeing that Naas king of the children of Ammon was come against you, you said to me: Nay, but a king shall reign over us: whereas the Lord your God was your king.
13Now therefore your king is here, whom you have chosen and desired: Behold the Lord hath given you a king.
14If you will fear the Lord, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and not provoke the mouth of the Lord: then shall both you, and the king who reigneth over you, be followers of the Lord your God.
15But if you will not hearken to the voice of the Lord, but will rebel against his words, the hand of the Lord shall be upon you, and upon your fathers.
16Now then stand, and see this great thing which the Lord will do in your sight.
17Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call upon the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that you yourselves have done a great evil in the sight of the Lord, in desiring a king over you.
18And Samuel cried unto the Lord: and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day.
19And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel: Pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.
20And Samuel said to the people: Fear not. You have done all this evil: but yet depart not from following the Lord; but serve the Lord with all your heart.
21And turn not aside after vain things which shall never profit you, nor deliver you, because they are vain.
22And the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because the Lord hath sworn to make you his people.
23And far from me be this sin against the Lord, that I should cease to pray for you. And I will teach you the good and right way.
24Therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in truth and with your whole heart; for you have seen the great works which he hath done among you.
25But if you will still do wickedly: both you and your king shall perish together.
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1 Kings 12: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
1 Samuel 12
12
Samuel’s Final Public Speech
1Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you.#1Sm 8:5–22 2Now you can see that the king is leading you. As for me, I’m old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until now. 3Here I am. Bring charges against me before the Lord and his anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken?#Ex 20:17; Nm 16:15 Who have I wronged or mistreated? Who gave me a bribe to overlook something?#12:3 LXX reads bribe or a pair of shoes? Testify against me.#Dt 16:19 I will return it to you.”
4“You haven’t wronged us, you haven’t mistreated us, and you haven’t taken anything from anyone,” they responded.
5He said to them, “The Lord is a witness against you, and his anointed is a witness today that you haven’t found anything#Ac 23:9; 24:20 in my hand.”#Ex 22:4
“He is a witness,” they said.
6Then Samuel said to the people, “The Lord, who appointed Moses and Aaron#Ex 6:26 and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness.#12:6 LXX; MT omits is a witness 7Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before the Lord about all the righteous acts he has done for you and your ancestors.
8“When Jacob went to Egypt,#12:8 LXX reads “When Jacob and his sons went to Egypt and Egypt humbled them your ancestors cried out to the Lord,#Ex 2:23–25 and he sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.#Ex 3:1–10 9But they forgot the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera#Jdg 4:1–2 commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab.#Jdg 2:11–15 These enemies fought against them. 10Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, for we abandoned the Lord and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now rescue us from the power of our enemies,#Jdg 2:18 and we will serve you.’ 11So the Lord sent Jerubbaal,#Jdg 6:11–12,32 Barak,#12:11 LXX, Syr; MT reads Bedan; Jdg 4:6; Heb 11:32#Jdg 4:6; 11:1 Jephthah,#Jdg 11:1 and Samuel.#1Sm 7:10–14 He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely. 12But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reign over us’ — even though the Lord your God is your king.
13“Now here is the king you’ve chosen,#1Sm 10:24 the one you requested.#1Sm 8:5; Hs 13:11 Look, this is the king the Lord has placed over you. 14If you fear the Lord,#Jos 24:14 worship and obey him, and if you don’t rebel against the Lord’s command, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. 15However, if you disobey the Lord#Jos 24:20; Is 1:20 and rebel against his command, the Lord’s hand will be against you#1Sm 5:9 as it was against your ancestors.#12:15 LXX against you and against your king#Lv 26:14–33; Jos 24:14–27
16“Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes.#Ex 14:13 17Isn’t the wheat harvest today?#Pr 26:1 I will call on the Lord, and he will send thunder and rain so that you will recognize what an immense evil you committed in the Lord’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves.”#1Sm 8:7 18Samuel called on the Lord, and on that day the Lord sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.#Ex 9:23–25,31; 1Kg 18:37–39; Pr 26:1
19They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants#Ex 9:28; Jr 15:1 so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.”#1Sm 17:20
20Samuel replied, “Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord.#Dt 11:16 Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart. 21Don’t turn away to follow worthless#12:21 LXX reads away after empty things that can’t profit or rescue you; they are worthless.#Is 44:9–20; Jr 2:8,11; Hab 2:18 22The Lord will not abandon his people,#Jos 7:9; Ezk 36:22–28 because of his great name and because he has determined to make you his own people.#Dt 7:6–9; 1Pt 2:9
23“As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.#Nm 21:7; 1Sm 7:5–9; Rm 1:9–10 I will teach you the good and right way. 24Above all, fear the Lord and worship him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things he has done for you.#Dt 10:21; Ps 103:2–14 25However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”#2Kg 17:6–7
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