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Samuel’s Farewell Address

12

Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to you in all that you have said to me, and have set a king over you. ²See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. ³Here I am; testify against me before the L ord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” ⁴They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from the hand of anyone.” ⁵He said to them, “The L ord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

⁶ Samuel said to the people, “The L ord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of the land of Egypt. ⁷Now therefore take your stand, so that I may enter into judgment with you before the L ord, and I will declare to you all the saving deeds of the L ord that he performed for you and for your ancestors. ⁸When Jacob went into Egypt and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your ancestors cried to the L ord and the L ord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your ancestors out of Egypt, and settled them in this place. ⁹But they forgot the L ord their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of King Jabin 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 to the L ord, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the L ord, and have served the Baals and the Astartes; but now rescue us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ ¹¹And the L ord sent Jerubbaal and Barak, and Jephthah, and Samson, and rescued you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety. ¹²But when you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ though the L ord your God was your king. ¹³See, here is the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; see, the L ord has set a king over you. ¹⁴If you will fear the L ord and serve him and heed his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the L ord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the L ord your God, it will be well; ¹⁵but if you will not heed the voice of the L ord, but rebel against the commandment of the L ord, then the hand of the L ord will be against you and your king. ¹⁶Now therefore take your stand and see this great thing that the L ord will do before your eyes. ¹⁷Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call upon the L ord, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that the wickedness that you have done in the sight of the L ord is great in demanding a king for yourselves.” ¹⁸So Samuel called upon the L ord, and the L ord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the L ord and Samuel.

¹⁹ All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the L ord your God for your servants, so that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of demanding a king for ourselves.” ²⁰And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the L ord, but serve the L ord with all your heart; ²¹and do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless. ²²For the L ord will not cast away his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the L ord to make you a people for himself. ²³Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the L ord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. ²⁴Only fear the L ord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you. ²⁵But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”