Samuel Speaks to Israel

1Then Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and I have [†]appointed a king over you. 2So now, here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray, and behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth even to this day. 3Here I am; bear witness against me before Yahweh and 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? I will restore it to you.” 4And they said, “You have not extorted us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5So he said to them, “Yahweh is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

6Then Samuel said to the people, “It is Yahweh who [†]appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. 7So now, take your stand, that I may judge you before Yahweh concerning all the righteous acts of Yahweh which He did for you and your fathers. 8When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried out to Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron [†]who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. 9But they forgot Yahweh their God, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander 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. 10And they cried out to Yahweh and said, ‘We have sinned because we have forsaken Yahweh and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ 11Then Yahweh sent Jerubbaal and [†]Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security. 12But you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, and you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ although Yahweh your God was your king. 13So now, behold, the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, Yahweh has set a king over you. 14If you will fear Yahweh and serve Him and listen to His voice and not rebel against the [†]command of Yahweh, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow Yahweh your God. 15But if you will not listen to the voice of Yahweh, but rebel against the [†]command of Yahweh, then the hand of Yahweh will be against you, as it was against your fathers. 16Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which Yahweh will do before your eyes. 17Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to Yahweh, that He may send [†]thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the eyes of Yahweh by asking for yourselves a king.” 18So Samuel called to Yahweh, and Yahweh sent [†]thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel.

19Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.” 20And Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart. 21And you must not turn aside, for then you would go after meaningless things which cannot profit and cannot deliver, because they are meaningless. 22For Yahweh will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because Yahweh has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. 23Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and upright way. 24Only [†]fear Yahweh and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for see what great things He has done for you. 25But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.”