Then Samuel said
to all
Israel
, "Behold
, aI have listened
to your voice
in all
that you said
to me and I bhave 1appointed
a king
over
you.
"Now, ahere
is the king
walking
before
you, but bI am
old
and gray
, and behold
cmy sons
are with you. And dI have walked
before
you from my youth
even
to this
day
.
"Here I am; bear
witness
against me before
the LORD
and aHis anointed
. bWhose
ox
have I taken
, or whose
donkey
have I taken
, or whom
have I defrauded
? Whom
have I oppressed
, or cfrom whose
hand
have I taken
a bribe
to blind
my eyes
with it? I will restore
it to you."
They said, "You have not defrauded
us or oppressed
us or taken
anything
from any
man's
hand
."
He said to them, "The LORD
is witness
against you, and His anointed
is witness
this
day
that ayou have found
nothing
bin my hand
." And they said
, "He is witness
."
Then Samuel said
to the people
, "It is the LORD
who
1 aappointed
Moses
and Aaron
and who
brought
your fathers
up from the land
of Egypt
.
"So now, take
your stand
, athat I may plead
with you before
the LORD
concerning
all
the righteous
acts
of the LORD
which
He did
for you and your fathers
.
" aWhen Jacob
went
into Egypt
and byour fathers
cried
out to the LORD
, then cthe LORD
sent
Moses
and Aaron
1 dwho brought
your fathers
out of Egypt
and settled
them in this
place
.
"But athey forgot the LORD
their God
, so bHe sold
them into the hand
of Sisera
, captain
of the army
of Hazor
, and cinto the hand
of the Philistines
and dinto the hand
of the king
of Moab
, and they fought
against them.
" aThey cried out to the LORD
and said
, `We have sinned
because
we have forsaken
the LORD
and have served
bthe Baals
and the Ashtaroth
; but cnow
deliver
us from the hands
of our enemies
, and we will serve
You.'
"Then the LORD sent
aJerubbaal
and 1 bBedan
and cJephthah
and dSamuel
, and delivered
you from the hands
of your enemies
all
around
, so that you lived
in security
.
"When you saw athat Nahash
the king
of the sons
of Ammon
came
against
you, you said
to me, ` bNo
, but a king
shall reign
over
us,' calthough the LORD
your God
was your king
.
"Now therefore, ahere
is the king
whom
you have chosen
, bwhom
you have asked
for, and behold
, the LORD
has set
a king
over
you.
" aIf you will fear
the LORD
and serve
Him, and listen
to His voice
and not rebel
against
the 1command
of the LORD
, then both
you and also
the king
who
reigns
over
you will follow
the LORD
your God
.
" aIf you will not listen
to the voice
of the LORD
, but rebel
against
the 1command
of the LORD
, then bthe hand
of the LORD
will be against you, cas it was against your fathers
.
"Even now
, atake
your stand
and see
this
great
thing
which
the LORD
will do
before your eyes
.
" aIs it not the wheat harvest
today
? bI will call
to the LORD
, that He may send
1thunder
and rain
. Then you will know
and see
that cyour wickedness
is great
which
you have done
in the sight
of the LORD
by asking
for yourselves a king
."
So Samuel called
to the LORD
, and the LORD
sent
1thunder
and rain
that day
; and aall
the people
greatly
feared
the LORD
and Samuel
.
Then all the people
said
to Samuel
, " aPray
for your servants
to the LORD
your God
, so that we may not die
, for we have added
to all
our sins
bthis evil
by asking
for ourselves a king
."
Samuel said
to the people
, "Do not fear
. You have committed
all
this
evil
, yet
ado not turn
aside
from following
the LORD
, but serve
the LORD
with all
your heart
.
"You must not turn aside
, for then you would go after
afutile
things
which
can not profit
or deliver
, because
they are futile
.
"For athe LORD will not abandon
His people
bon account
of His great
name
, because
the LORD
chas been pleased
to make
you a people
for Himself.
"Moreover, as for me, afar
be it from me that I should sin
against the LORD
by ceasing
to pray
for you; but bI will instruct
you in the good
and right
way
.
" aOnly 1fear
the LORD
and serve
Him in truth
with all
your heart
; for consider
bwhat
great
things
He has done
for you.
" aBut if you still
do
wickedly
, bboth
you and your king
cwill be swept
away
."