1 Samuel 12
12
Samuel’s Spotless Leadership
1Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you have said to me and appointed a king over you. 2And now, here is the king who will lead you. I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. 3Here I am. Testify against me in front of the Lord and in front of his anointed king. Did I take anyone’s ox? Did I take anyone’s donkey? Did I cheat or oppress anyone? Did I take a bribe from anyone to look the other way? ⌞If so,⌟ I will give it all back.”
4They answered, “You didn’t cheat us, oppress us, or take anything from anyone.”
5Samuel told them, “The Lord is a witness to what you’ve said, and his anointed king is a witness today that you’ve found nothing in my hands.”
“He is a witness,” they answered.
6Samuel told the people, “The Lord appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors out of Egypt. 7Now, stand up while I put you on trial in front of the Lord and cite all the righteous things the Lord did for you and your ancestors. 8When your ancestors went with Jacob to Egypt ⌞and were oppressed⌟, they cried out to the Lord, who sent Moses and Aaron to bring them out of Egypt. The Lord settled them in this place. 9But they forgot the Lord their God. So he handed them over to Sisera, who was the commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. All of them fought against your ancestors. 10Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned. We have abandoned the Lord and served other gods and goddesses—the Baals and the Astartes. But rescue us from our enemies now, and we will serve you.’
11“Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel and rescued you from your enemies on every side so that you could live securely. 12But when you saw King Nahash of Ammon coming to attack you, you told me, ‘No, a king should rule over us,’ though the Lord your God was your king.
The New Kingship
13“Now, here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for. See, the Lord has put a king over you. 14If you fear the Lord, serve him, obey him, and don’t rebel against what he says, then you and your king will follow the Lord your God. 15But if you don’t obey the Lord, if you rebel against what he says, then the Lord will be against you as he was against your ancestors. 16Now then, stand still and watch this great thing the Lord is going to do right before your eyes. 17Isn’t the wheat being harvested today? I will call on the Lord, and he’ll send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what a wicked thing you did in the Lord’s presence when you asked for a king.”
18Then Samuel called on the Lord. That day the Lord sent thunder and rain so that all the people feared the Lord and Samuel very much.
19All the people pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us so that we will not die. We have added ⌞another⌟ evil thing to all our other sins by asking for a king.”
20“Don’t be afraid,” Samuel told the people. “You did do all these evil things. But don’t turn away from the Lord. Instead, serve the Lord wholeheartedly. 21Don’t turn away to follow other gods. They can’t help or rescue you, because they don’t exist. 22For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not abandon his people, because the Lord wants to make you his people. 23It would be unthinkable for me to sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I will go on teaching you the way that is good and right. 24Fear the Lord, and serve him sincerely. Consider the great things he did for you. 25But if you go on doing what is evil, you and your king will be wiped out.”
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1 Samuel 12: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
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.