1 Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have listened to your voice
in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 Now,
behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and gray-headed; and, behold,
my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth to this day.
3 Here I am: witness against me before Yahweh, and before his anointed:
whose ox have I taken? or whose donkey have I taken? or whom have I
defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to
blind my eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. 4 They said, You have
not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything of any
man’s hand. 5 He said to them, Yahweh is witness against you, and his
anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my
hand. They said, He is witness. 6 Samuel said to the people, It is Yahweh
who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the
land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you
before Yahweh concerning all the righteous acts of Yahweh, which he did to
you and to your fathers. 8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your
fathers cried to Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth
your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place. 9 But
they forgot Yahweh their God; and 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. 10 They cried
to Yahweh, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahweh, and
have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand
of our enemies, and we will serve you. 11 Yahweh sent Jerubbaal, and
Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your
enemies on every side; and you lived in safety. 12 When you saw
that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said
to me, No, but a king shall reign over us; when Yahweh your God was your
king. 13 Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen, and whom
you have asked for: and, behold, Yahweh has set a king over you.
14 If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice,
and not rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, and both you and also
the king who reigns over you are followers of Yahweh your God, well:
15 but if you will not listen to the voice of Yahweh, but rebel
against the commandment of Yahweh, then will the hand of Yahweh be against
you, as it was against your fathers. 16 Now therefore stand still and see
this great thing, which Yahweh will do before your eyes. 17 Isn’t it wheat
harvest today? I will call to Yahweh, that he may send thunder and rain; and
you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you
have done in the sight of Yahweh, in asking you a king. 18 So Samuel
called to Yahweh; and Yahweh sent thunder and rain that day: and all the
people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel. 19 All the people said to Samuel,
Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, that we not die; for we have added
to all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. 20 Samuel said to the
people, “Don’t be afraid; you have indeed done all this evil; yet don’t
turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart:
21 and don’t turn aside; for then would you go after vain
things which can’t profit nor deliver, for they are vain. 22 For Yahweh
will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased
Yahweh to make you a people to himself. 23 Moreover as for me, far be it
from me that I should sin against Yahweh in ceasing to pray for you: but I
will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear Yahweh, and
serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he has
done for you. 25 But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall
be consumed, both you and your king.”
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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