1Samuel 12

Samuel’s Farewell Speech

12Samuel said to all Israel, "I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you.H8050H559H3478H8085H6963H559H4427H44282Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day.H4428H1980H6440H2204H7867H1121H1980H6440H5271H31173Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right."H6030H3068H4899H7794H3947H2543H3947H6231H7533H3027H3724H5956H5869H77254"You have not cheated or oppressed us," they replied. "You have not taken anything from anyone's hand."H559H6231H7533H3947H3972H376H30275Samuel said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." "He is witness," they said.H559H3068H5707H4899H5707H3117H4672H3972H3027H559H57076Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your forefathers up out of Egypt.H8050H559H5971H3068H6213H4872H175H5927H1H5927H776H47147Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the LORD as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your fathers.H3320H8199H6440H3068H6666H3068H6213H18"After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the LORD for help, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your forefathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.H3290H935H4714H1H2199H3068H3068H7971H4872H175H3318H1H4714H3427H47259"But they forgot the LORD their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them.H7911H3068H430H4376H3027H5516H8269H6635H2674H3027H6430H3027H4428H4124H389810They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.'H2199H3068H559H2398H5800H3068H5647H1168H6252H5337H3027H341H564711Then the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely.H3068H7971H3378H917H3316H8050H5337H3027H341H5439H3427H98312"But 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.H7200H5176H4428H1121H5983H935H559H4428H4427H3068H430H442813Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you.H4428H977H7592H3068H5414H442814If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God—good!H3372H3068H5647H8085H6963H4784H6310H3068H4428H4427H310H3068H43015But if you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.H8085H6963H3068H4784H6310H3068H3027H3068H116"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!H1571H3320H7200H1419H1697H3068H6213H586917Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king."H2406H7105H3117H7121H3068H5414H6963H4306H3045H7200H7451H7227H6213H5869H3068H7592H442818Then Samuel called upon the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel.H8050H7121H3068H3068H5414H6963H4306H3117H5971H3966H3372H3068H805019The 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."H5971H559H8050H6419H5650H3068H430H4191H3254H2403H7451H7592H442820"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.H8050H559H5971H3372H6213H7451H5493H310H3068H5647H3068H382421Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless.H5493H310H8414H3276H5337H841422For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.H3068H5203H5971H1419H8034H2974H3068H6213H597123As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.H595H2486H2398H3068H2308H6419H3384H2896H3477H187024But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.H3372H3068H5647H571H3824H7200H143125Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."H7489H7489H5595H4428