“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. 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. 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. 4 And they said, Thou hast not
defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any
man’s hand. 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.”
“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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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: 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.”
“16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will
do before your eyes. 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. 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. 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. 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; 21 And turn ye not aside: for [then should ye go] after vain
[things], which cannot profit nor deliver; for they [are] vain. 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. 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: 24 Only fear the
LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great
[things] he hath done for you. 25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye
shall be consumed, both ye and your king.” (1 Samuel 12:1-25 AV)
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