I Samuel Chapter 12

I Samuel 12 — English translation

Translation: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition. Verse numbers match the Hebrew text below.

1. 1Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have yielded to you in all you have asked of me and have set a king over you.
2. 2Henceforth the king will be your leader. “As for me, I have grown old and gray—but my sons are still with you—and I have been your leader from my youth to this day.
3. 3Here I am! Testify against me, in the presence of G OD and in the presence of this anointed one: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded or whom have I robbed? From whom have I taken a bribe to look the other way? I will return it to you.”
4. 4They responded, “You have not defrauded us, and you have not robbed us, and you have taken nothing from anyone.”
5. 5He said to them, “G OD then is witness, and this anointed one is witness, to your admission this day that you have found nothing in my possession.” They responded, “[God is] witness indeed!”
6. 6Samuel said to the people, “G OD [is witness]—who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt.
7. 7Come, stand before G OD while I cite against you all the kindnesses that G OD has done to you and your ancestors.
8. 8“When Jacob came to Egypt, … your ancestors cried out to G OD , and G OD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
9. 9But they forgot the E TERNAL their God; so they were delivered into the hands of Sisera the military commander of Hazor, into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab; and these made war upon them.
10. 10They cried to G OD , ‘We are guilty, for we have forsaken G OD and worshiped the Baalim and Ashtaroth. Oh, deliver us from our enemies and we will serve You.’
11. 11And G OD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the enemies around you; and you dwelt in security.
12. 12But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reigning over us’—though the E TERNAL your God is your King.
13. 13“Well, G OD has set a king over you! Here is the king that you have chosen, that you have asked for.
14. 14“If you will revere, worship, and obey G OD —and not flout G OD ’s command—if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the E TERNAL your God, [well and good].
15. 15But if you do not obey G OD —and you flout G OD ’s command—G OD ’s hand will strike you as it did your ancestors.
16. 16“Now stand by and see the marvelous thing that G OD will do before your eyes.
17. 17It is the season of the wheat harvest. I will pray to G OD —who will send thunder and rain; then you will take thought and realize what a wicked thing you did in G OD ’s sight when you asked for a king.”
18. 18Samuel prayed to G OD , and G OD sent thunder and rain that day, and the people stood in awe of G OD and of Samuel.
19. 19The people all said to Samuel, “Intercede for your servants with the E TERNAL your God that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins the wickedness of asking for a king.”
20. 20But Samuel said to the people, “Have no fear. You have, indeed, done all those wicked things. Do not, however, turn away from G OD , but serve G OD with all your heart.
21. 21Do not turn away to follow worthless things, which can neither profit nor save but are worthless.
22. 22For the sake of God’s great name, G OD will never abandon this people, seeing that G OD undertook to make you a covenanted people.
23. 23“As for me, far be it from me to sin against G OD and refrain from praying for you; and I will continue to instruct you in the practice of what is good and right.
24. 24Above all, you must revere G OD and serve faithfully with all your heart; and consider how grandly you have been dealt with.
25. 25For if you persist in your wrongdoing, both you and your king will be swept away.”

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