1 Samuel 12

Samuel’s Farewell Address

1Samuel said to all Israel, “See, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and I have set a king over you. 2And now, see, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and see, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3Here I am. Testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you.” 4They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from anyone’s hand.” 5He said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

The LORD’s Righteous Acts

6Then Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt. 7Now therefore stand still, so that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD that he did for you and for your ancestors. 8When Jacob went into Egypt, and your ancestors cried out to the LORD, the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9But they forgot the LORD their God, and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. 10Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11And the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies all around, and you lived in safety.

The Demand for a King

12But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ though the LORD your God was your king. 13And now, see the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked. See, the LORD has set a king over you. 14If you will fear the LORD and serve him and listen to his voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. 15But if you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and against your king.

Thunder and Rain

16Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. 17Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, and he will give thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your evil is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD by asking for yourselves a king.” 18So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD gave thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. 19Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.”

Do Not Turn Aside

20Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this evil; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22For the LORD will not abandon his people, for his great name’s sake, because the LORD was pleased to make you a people for himself. 23Moreover, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and right way. 24Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart, for consider what great things he has done for you. 25But if you still do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”