1 Samuel Chapter 12

1 Samuel Chapter 12
1 Samuel then said unto all Israel,
Behold, I have hearkened unto your
voice in all that ye said unto me, and
have appointed a king over you. 2 Now
therefore behold , your king walketh
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 unto this day.
3 Behold, here I am: bear record of me
before the Lord and before his anointed.
Whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass
have I taken? Or whom have I done
wrong to? Or whom have I hurt? Or of
whose hand have I received any bribe,
to blind mine eyes therewith, and I will
restore it you?
4 Then they said, Thou hast done us no
wrong, nor hast hurt us, neither hast thou
taken ought of any man's hand.
5 And he said unto them, The Lord is
witness against you, and his anointed is
witness this day, that ye have found
naught in mine hands. And they
answered, He is witness.
6 Then Samuel said unto the people, It is
the Lord that made Moses and Aaron,
and that brought your fathers out of the
land of Egypt.
7 Now therefore stand still, that I may
reason with you before the Lord
according to all the righteousness of the
Lord, which he showed to you and to
your fathers.
8 After that Jacob was come into Egypt,
and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then
the Lord sent Moses and Aaron which
brought your fathers out of Egypt, and
made them dwell in this place.
9 And when they forgot the Lord their
God, he sold them into the hand of
Sisera captain of the host of Hazor and
into the hand of the Philistines, and into
the hand of the king of Moab, and they
fought against them. 10 And they cried
unto the Lord, and said, We have sinned,
because we have forsaken the Lord, and
have served Baalim and Ashtaroth. Now
therefore deliver us out of the hands of
our enemies, and we will serve thee. 11
Therefore the Lord sent Jerubbaal and
Bedan and Jephthah, and Samuel, and
delivered you out of the hands of your
enemies on every side, and ye dwelled
safe.
12 Notwithstanding when you saw, that
Nahash the king of the children of
Ammon came against you, ye said unto
me, No, but a king shall reign over us:
when yet the Lord your God was your
king.
13 Now therefore behold the king whom
ye have chosen, and whom ye have
desired: lo therefore, the Lord hath set a
king over you.
14 If ye will fear the Lord and serve
him, and hear his voice, and not disobey
the word of the Lord, both ye, and the
king that reigneth over you, shall follow
the Lord your God.
15 But if ye will not obey the voice of
the Lord, but disobey the Lord's mouth,
then shall the hand of the Lord be upon
you, and on your fathers. 16 Now also
stand and see this great thing which the
Lord will do before your eyes.
17 Is it not now wheat harvest? I will
call unto the Lord, and he shall send
thunder and rain, that ye may perceive
and see, how that your wickedness is
great, which ye have done in the sight of
the Lord in asking you a king. 18 Then
Samuel called unto the Lord, and the
Lord sent thunder and rain the same day:
and all the people feared the Lord and
Samuel exceedingly. 19 And all the
people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy
servants unto the Lord thy God, that we
die not: for we have sinned in asking us
a king, beside all our other sins.
20 And Samuel said unto the people,
Fear not. (ye have indeed done all this
wickedness, yet depart not from
following the Lord, but serve the Lord
with all your heart,
21 Neither turn ye back: for that should
be after vain things which cannot profit
you, nor deliver you, for they are but
vanity)
22 For the Lord will not forsake his
people for his great name's sake:
because it hath pleased the Lord to make
you his people.
23 Moreover God forbid, that I should
sin against the Lord, and cease praying
for you, but I will sh0w you the good
and right way.
24 Therefore fear you the Lord, and
serve him in the truth with all your
hearts, and consider how great things he
hath done for you.
25 But if ye do wickedly, ye shall
perish, both ye, and your king.