1 Samuel 12
12
Samuel’s Farewell Address
1And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed #ch. 8:5, 19, 20 your voice in all that you have said to me #ch. 10:24; 11:14, 15and have made a king over you. 2And now, behold, the king #[ch. 8:20; Num. 27:17] walks before you, #ch. 8:1, 5and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before #ch. 24:6; 26:9, 11, 16; 2 Sam. 1:14, 16; [ch. 10:1] his anointed. #[Ex. 20:17; Num. 16:15]Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me#12:3 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” 4They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and #[See ver. 3 above] his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything #Ex. 21:16; 22:4in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”
6And Samuel said to the people, #[Mic. 6:4]“The Lord is witness,#12:6 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks is witness who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers. 8#Gen. 46:5, 6 When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them,#12:8 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and the Egyptians oppressed them #Ex. 2:23 then your fathers cried out to the Lord and #Ex. 3:10; 4:14-16 the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, #[ch. 10:18]who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9But #Judg. 3:7 they forgot the Lord their God. #Judg. 4:2 And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor,#12:9 Septuagint the army of Jabin king of Hazor #Judg. 10:7; 13:1; [Judg. 3:31] and into the hand of the Philistines, #Judg. 3:12and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10#Judg. 10:10; [Judg. 3:9] And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord #Judg. 2:13 and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now #Judg. 10:15deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11And the Lord sent #Judg. 6:14, 32 Jerubbaal #Judg. 4:6, 8, 10 and Barak#12:11 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew Bedan #Judg. 11:1 and Jephthah and #See ch. 7:10-13Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12And when you saw that #ch. 11:1 Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, #ch. 8:5, 19 you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ #[ch. 8:7; 10:19; Judg. 8:23]when the Lord your God was your king. 13And now #ch. 10:24 behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, #ch. 9:16, 17; [Hos. 13:11]the Lord has set a king over you. 14If you will #ver. 24; Deut. 6:2; Josh. 24:14fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15But #Lev. 26:14, 15; Deut. 28:15; Josh. 24:20 if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then #ch. 5:9 the hand of the Lord will be against you and #[ver. 9]your king.#12:15 Septuagint; Hebrew fathers 16Now therefore #Ex. 14:13stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17#[Prov. 26:1] Is it not wheat harvest today? #ch. 7:9, 10; [James 5:16-18] I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that #ch. 8:7your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, #Ex. 14:31; [Ezra 10:9]and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
19And all the people said to Samuel, #ver. 23; [Ex. 9:28; 10:17; Jer. 15:1]“Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet #Deut. 11:16do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21And #[See ver. 20 above] do not turn aside after #Jer. 16:19; Hab. 2:18; [1 Cor. 8:4]empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22#1 Kgs. 6:13; Ps. 94:14; [1 Kgs. 8:57] For the Lord will not forsake his people, #Josh. 7:9; Ps. 106:8; Jer. 14:21; Ezek. 20:9, 14, 22 for his great name’s sake, because #Deut. 7:7, 8; 14:2; [1 Pet. 2:9]it has pleased the Lord 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 #See ver. 19 to pray for you, #1 Kgs. 8:36; 2 Chr. 6:27; Ps. 27:11; [Prov. 4:11; Jer. 6:16]and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24#ver. 14; [Eccles. 12:13] Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider #Deut. 10:21; Ps. 126:2, 3what great things he has done for you. 25But if you still do wickedly, #Josh. 24:20; [Num. 16:26] you shall be swept away, #[Deut. 28:36]both you and your king.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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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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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.