1 Samuel
12:1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your
voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.
12:2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and
grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before
you from my childhood unto this day.
12:3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his
anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have
I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any
bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
12:4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither
hast thou taken ought of any man's hand.
12:5 And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed
is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they
answered, He is witness.
12:6 And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and
Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
12:7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of
all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your
fathers.
12:8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD,
then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out
of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.
12:9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of
Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the
Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought
against them.
12:10 And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have
forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver
us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
12:11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and
delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye
dwelled safe.
12:12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came
against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when
the LORD your God was your king.
12:13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have
desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.
12:14 If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not
rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also
the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:
12:15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the
commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you,
as it was against your fathers.
12:16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do
before your eyes.
12:17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall
send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness
is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a
king.
12:18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that
day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
12:19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD
thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil,
to ask us a king.
12:20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this
wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the
LORD with all your heart;
12:21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which
cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.
12:22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake:
because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.
12:23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in
ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right
way:
12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for
consider how great things he hath done for you.
12:25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and
your king.
