 1 Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 Now, behold, the king walks before you. And I am old and gray headed, and, behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my childhood to this day. 3 Behold, here I am. Witness against me before the Lord 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 received a bribe, to blind my eyes with it? And I will restore it to you. 4 They said, You have not defrauded us nor oppressed us, neither have you taken from any man's hand. 5 He said to them, The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. They answered, He is witness. 6 Samuel said to the people, It is the Lord who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now stand still, so that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you and to your fathers. 8 When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them live in this place. 9 They forgot the Lord their God. And He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain 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. 10 They cried out to the Lord and said, We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served the Baals and Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from our enemies, and we will serve you. 11 The Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from your enemies on every side, and you lived safely. 12 When you saw that King Nahash of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, even though the Lord your God was your King. 13 Now, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have desired. And behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord, and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you shall continue following the Lord your God. 15 But if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord shall be against you as it was against your fathers. 16 Now stand and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord and He will send thunder and rain so that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great. What you have done in the sight of the Lord in asking for a king. 18 Samuel called to the Lord and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. Then all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. 19 All the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we will not die. For we have added evil to all our sins by asking for a king. 20 Samuel said to the people, Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 Do not turn aside to go after vanities that cannot profit or deliver. For they are vain. 22 The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people. 23 Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.
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