Samuel’s Farewell Address

1Samuel sayde vnto all Israel: Beholde, I haue herkened vnto youre voyce in all that ye sayde vnto me, and haue made a kynge ouer you. 2And now lo, there goeth youre kynge before you. As for me, I am waxen olde and graye heered, and my sonnes are with you: and I haue gone before you fro my youth vp vnto this daye. 3Beholde, here am I: answere ye agaynst me before the RORDE and his anoynted, yf I haue taken eny mans oxe or asse, yf I haue done eny man violence or wronge, If I haue oppressed eny ma, yf I haue receaued a gifte of eny mans hande, and kepte it secretly, I wil restore it you agayne. 4They saide: Thou hast done vs nether violence ner wronge, nether oppressed, ner taken ought of eny mans hande. 5He sayde: The LORDE be witnesse agaynst you, and so be his anoynted this daye, that ye haue founde nothinge in my hade. They saide: Yee they shalbe witnesses.

6And Samuel sayde vnto the people: The LORDE which made Moses and Aaron, and broughte youre fathers out of the londe of Egipte (is here present.) 7Stode forth now therfore, that I maye iudge you before the LORDE ouer the righteousnes of the LORDE, which he hath done for you and youre fathers. 8Whan Iacob was come in to Egipte, youre fathers cryed vnto the LORDE. And he sent Moses and Aaron to brynge youre fathers out of Egipte, and to cause them for to dwell in this place. 9But whan they forgat the LORDE their God, he solde them vnder the power of Sissera, the captayne at Hazor and vnder the power of the Philistynes and vnder the power of the kinge of the Moabites, which foughte agaynst them. 10But they cried vnto the LORDE, and sayde: We haue synned, in that we haue forsaken the LORDE, and serued Baalim and Astaroth. But now deliuer vs from the hande of oure enemies, and we wyl serue the. 11Then the LORDE sent Ierubaal, Bedan, Iephthae, and Samuel, & delyuered you from youre enemies rounde aboute, and caused you to dwell safe.

12But whan ye sawe that Nahas the kynge of the children of Ammon came agaynst you ye sayde vnto me: Not thou, but a kynge shal raigne ouer vs, where as notwithstodinge youre God was youre kynge. 13Now, there haue ye youre kynge, who ye haue chosen and desyred: for lo, the LORDE hath set a kinge ouer you. 14Yf ye shal feare the LORDE now, and serue him, and herken vnto his voice, and not be dishobedient vnto the mouth of the LORDE, then shall both ye and youre kynge that raigneth ouer you, folowe ye LORDE youre God. 15But yf ye herken not vnto ye voyce of the LORDE, but be dishobedient vnto his mouth, then shal the hande of the LORDE be agaynst you, and agaynst youre fathers. 16Stonde forth now also, and beholde this greate thinge, that the LORDE shal do before youre eyes. 17Is not now the wheate haruest? Yet wyll I call vpo the LORDE, so that he shal cause it thonder and rayne, that ye shall knowe and se the greate euell, which ye haue done in the sight of the LORDE, in that ye haue desyred to haue a kynge. 18And whan Samuel called vpon the LORDE, the LORDE caused it to thoder and raine the same daye. Then all the people feared the LORDE greatly and Samuel,

19and they sayde all vnto Samuel: Praie thou vnto the LORDE thy God for thy seruauntes, that we dye not: for beside oure sinnes we haue done this euell also, that we haue desyred vnto vs a kinge. 20Samuel sayde vnto the people: Feare not, ye haue done all this euell in dede. Neuertheles departe not backe from the LORDE, but serue the LORDE with all youre hert, 21and go not asyde after vanite, for it profyteth you nothinge, and can not delyuer you, in so moch as it is but a vayne thinge. 22For the LORDE shall not forsake his people because of his greate names sake: for the LORDE hath begonne to make you a people vnto him selfe. 23But God forbyd that I shulde synne so vnto the LORDE, to ceasse from prayenge for you, and from teachinge you the good & righteous waye. 24Feare ye the LORDE therfore, and serue him faithfully with all yor hert: for ye haue sene, how greate thinges he doth vnto you. 25But yf ye do wickedly, both ye & youre kynge shal perishe.