1 Samuel 12:1-13 ▼

1 Samuel then said vnto all Israel, Behold, I haue hearkened vnto your voyce in all that yee sayde vnto mee, and haue appoynted a King ouer you.

2 Now therefore behold, your King walketh before you, and I am old and graie headed, and beholde, my sonnes are with you: and I haue walked before you fro my childhode vnto this day.

3 Beholde, here I am: beare recorde of me before the Lord & before his Anointed. Whose oxe haue I taken? or whose asse haue I taken? or whome haue I done wrong to? or whome haue I hurt? or of whose hande haue I receiued any bribe, to blinde mine eyes therewith, and I will restore it you?

4 Then they sayde, Thou hast done vs no wrong, nor hast hurt vs, neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand.

5 And he saide vnto them, The Lorde is witnesse against you, and his Anointed is witnesse this day, that yee haue founde nought in mine handes; they answered, He is witnesse.

6 Then Samuel sayde vnto the people, It is the Lord that made Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt.

7 Nowe therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord according to all the righteousnesse of the Lorde, which he shewed to you and to your fathers.

8 After that Iaakob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried vnto the Lorde, then the Lorde sent Moses and Aaron which brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

9 And when they forgate the Lorde their God, he solde them into the hand of Sisera captaine of the hoste of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistims, and into the hande of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10 And they cried vnto the Lorde, and saide, We haue sinned, because we haue forsaken the Lorde, and haue serued Baalim and Ashtaroth. Nowe therefore deliuer vs out of the handes of our enemies, and we will serue thee.

11 Therefore the Lorde sent Ierubbaal and Bedan and Iphtaph, and Samuel, and deliuered you out of the handes of your enemies on euery side, and yee dwelled safe.

12 Notwithstanding when you sawe, that Nahash the King of the children of Ammon came against you, ye sayde vnto me, No, but a King shall reigne ouer vs: when yet the Lord your God was your King.

13 Nowe therefore beholde the King whome yee haue chosen, and whome yee haue desired: loe therefore, the Lord hath set a King ouer you.