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1 Samuel 12
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1And 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.
1Samuel said to all Israel, 'I have listened to everything you said to me and have appointed a king to lead you.
2And 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 youth unto this day.
2Now the king is here to lead you. As for me, I am old and gray-haired, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this very day.
3Here I am: witness against me before Jehovah, 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 taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
3Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to look the other way? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.'
4And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man’s hand.
4They replied, 'You have not cheated us or oppressed us. You haven't taken anything from anyone.'
5And he said unto them, Jehovah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand. And they said, He is witness.
5Samuel said to them, 'The LORD is a witness against you, and his anointed king is a witness today, that you have found nothing in my hands.' 'He is witness,' they answered.
6And Samuel said unto the people, It is Jehovah that appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
6Then Samuel said to the people, 'It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up out of Egypt.
7Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before Jehovah concerning all the righteous acts of Jehovah, which he did to you and to your fathers.
7Now, stand still, because I am going to present the evidence against you before the LORD regarding all the righteous things the LORD did for you and your ancestors.
8When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.
8After Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD for help. The LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought them out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
9But they forgat Jehovah 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.
9But they forgot the LORD their God; so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and to the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them.
10And they cried unto Jehovah, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
10They cried out to the LORD and said, "We have sinned! We abandoned the LORD and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But deliver us now from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you."
11And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and ye dwelt in safety.
11Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and he rescued you from the enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.
12And 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 Jehovah your God was your king.
12But when you saw that Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was moving against you, you said to me, "No, we want a king to rule over us," even though the LORD your God was your king.
13Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have asked for: and, behold, Jehovah hath set a king over you.
13Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has placed a king over you.
14If ye will fear Jehovah, and serve him, and hearken unto his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, and both ye and also the king that reigneth over you be followers of Jehovah your God, well:
14If you fear the LORD and serve him and obey him, and if you do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God—then all will be well.
15but if ye will not hearken unto the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then will the hand of Jehovah be against you, as it was against your fathers.
15But if you do not obey the LORD and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, just as it was against your ancestors.
16Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Jehovah will do before your eyes.
16Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!
17Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto Jehovah, that he may send thunder and rain; and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of Jehovah, in asking you a king.
17Isn't it the wheat harvest right now? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what an evil thing you did in the LORD's sight when you asked for a king.'
18So Samuel called unto Jehovah; and Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel.
18Then Samuel called on the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in deep awe of the LORD and of Samuel.
19And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto Jehovah thy God, that we die not; for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.
19The people all said to Samuel, 'Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.'
20And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have indeed done all this evil; yet turn not aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart:
20'Do not be afraid,' Samuel replied. 'Even though you have done all this evil, do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
21and turn ye not aside; for then would ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain.
21Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.
22For Jehovah will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it hath pleased Jehovah to make you a people unto himself.
22For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.
23Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.
23As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the way that is good and right.