The Preacher's Bible

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. ²Now, behold, the king walks before you. I am old and gray-headed. Behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth to this day. ³Here I am. Witness against me before Jehovah and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”

⁴They said, “You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

⁵He said to them, “Jehovah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” They said, “He is witness.”

⁶Samuel said to the people, “It is Jehovah who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land 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.

⁸“When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.

⁹But they forgot Jehovah their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain 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. ¹⁰They cried to Jehovah, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ ¹¹Jehovah sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, 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 Jehovah your God was your king. ¹³Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for. Behold, Jehovah has set a king over you. ¹⁴If you will fear Jehovah, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of Jehovah your God. ¹⁵But if you will not listen to Jehovah’s voice, but rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then Jehovah’s hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶“Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Jehovah will do before your eyes. ¹⁷Isn’t it wheat harvest today? I will call to Jehovah, that he may send thunder and rain; and you will know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in Jehovah’s sight, in asking for a king.”

¹⁸So Samuel called to Jehovah, and Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day. Then all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel.

¹⁹All the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to Jehovah your God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.”

²⁰Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet don’t turn away from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart. ²¹Don’t turn away to go after vain things which can’t profit or deliver, for they are vain. ²²For Jehovah will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased Jehovah to make you a people for himself. 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. ²⁴Only fear Jehovah, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you. ²⁵But if you keep doing evil, you will be consumed, both you and your king.”