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1 Samuel 12
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised

Samuel’s Farewell Address

12 Samuel said to all Israel, ‘I have listened to you in all that you have said to me, and have set a king over you. 2 See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and grey, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify 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 taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me[a] and I will restore it to you.’ 4 They said, ‘You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from the hand of anyone.’ 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.’ And they said, ‘He is witness.’

6 Samuel said to the people, ‘The Lord is witness, who[b] appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore take your stand, so that I may enter into judgement with you before the Lord, and I will declare to you[c] all the saving deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your ancestors. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt and the Egyptians oppressed them,[d] then your ancestors cried to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your ancestors out of Egypt, and settled them in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of King Jabin of[e] Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. 10 Then they cried to the Lord, and said, “We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served the Baals and the Astartes; but now rescue us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.” 11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak,[f] and Jephthah, and Samson,[g] and rescued you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety. 12 But when you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, “No, but a king shall reign over us”, though the Lord your God was your king. 13 See, here is the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; see, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and heed his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well; 15 but if you will not heed the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.[h] 16 Now therefore take your stand and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that the wickedness that you have done in the sight of the Lord is great in demanding a king for yourselves.’ 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 All the people said to Samuel, ‘Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of demanding a king for ourselves.’ 20 And Samuel said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart; 21 and do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless. 22 For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.’

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 12:3 Gk: Heb lacks Testify against me
  2. 1 Samuel 12:6 Gk: Heb lacks is witness, who
  3. 1 Samuel 12:7 Gk: Heb lacks and I will declare to you
  4. 1 Samuel 12:8 Gk: Heb lacks and the Egyptians oppressed them
  5. 1 Samuel 12:9 Gk: Heb lacks King Jabin of
  6. 1 Samuel 12:11 Gk Syr: Heb Bedan
  7. 1 Samuel 12:11 Gk: Heb Samuel
  8. 1 Samuel 12:15 Gk: Heb and your ancestors
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1 Samuel 12
New English Translation

12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have done[a] everything you requested.[b] I have given you a king.[c] 2 Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day. 3 Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the Lord and before his chosen king.[d] Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me,[e] and I will return it to you!”

4 They replied, “You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone.” 5 He said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his chosen king[f] is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me.”[g] They said, “He is witness!”

6 Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is the one who chose Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors[h] up from the land of Egypt. 7 Now take your positions, so I may confront you[i] before the Lord regarding all the Lord’s just actions toward you and your ancestors.[j] 8 When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

9 “But they forgot the Lord their God, so he gave[k] them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor’s army,[l] and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 10 Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted,[m] ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth.[n] Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies so that we may serve you.’[o] 11 So the Lord sent Jerub Baal,[p] Barak,[q] Jephthah, and Samuel,[r] and he delivered you from the hands of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely.

12 “When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king will rule over us’—even though the Lord your God is your king. 13 Now look! Here is the king you have chosen—the one that you asked for! Look, the Lord has given you a king. 14 If you fear the Lord, serving him and obeying him[s] and not rebelling against what he says,[t] and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the Lord your God, all will be well.[u] 15 But if you don’t obey[v] the Lord and rebel against what the Lord says, the hand of the Lord will be against both you and your king.[w]

16 “So now, take your positions and watch this great thing that the Lord is about to do in your sight. 17 Is this not the time of the wheat harvest? I will call on the Lord so that he makes it thunder and rain. Realize and see what a great sin you have committed before the Lord by asking for a king for yourselves.”

18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the Lord and Samuel. 19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us—your servants—so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.”[x]

20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed sinned.[y] However, don’t turn aside from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 You should not turn aside after empty things that can’t profit and can’t deliver, since they are empty.[z] 22 The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation.[aa] The Lord was pleased to make you his own people. 23 As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright. 24 However, fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you! 25 But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “Look, I have listened to your voice.”
  2. 1 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “to all which you said to me.”
  3. 1 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “and I have installed a king over you.”
  4. 1 Samuel 12:3 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
  5. 1 Samuel 12:3 tn The words “tell me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  6. 1 Samuel 12:5 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
  7. 1 Samuel 12:5 tn Heb “that you have not found anything in my hand.”
  8. 1 Samuel 12:6 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 7, 8).
  9. 1 Samuel 12:7 tn Heb “and I will enter into judgment with you” (NRSV similar); NAB “and I shall arraign you.”
  10. 1 Samuel 12:7 tn Heb “all the just actions which he has done with you and with your fathers.”
  11. 1 Samuel 12:9 tn Heb “sold” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “he allowed them to fall into the clutches of Sisera”; NLT “he let them be conquered by Sisera.”
  12. 1 Samuel 12:9 tn Heb “captain of the host of Hazor.”
  13. 1 Samuel 12:10 tn Heb “and said.”
  14. 1 Samuel 12:10 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural). The words “images of” are supplied for clarity.sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. See the note on the same term in 7:3.
  15. 1 Samuel 12:10 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
  16. 1 Samuel 12:11 sn Jerub Baal (יְרֻבַּעַל, “Yerub Baʿal”) is also known as Gideon (see Judg 6:32). The book of Judges uses both names for him.
  17. 1 Samuel 12:11 tc The MT has בְּדָן (Bedan, “Bedan”) here (cf. KJV, NASB, CEV). But a deliverer by this name is not elsewhere mentioned in the OT. The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “Barak.”
  18. 1 Samuel 12:11 tc In the ancient versions there is some confusion with regard to these names, both with regard to the particular names selected for mention and with regard to the order in which they are listed. For example, the LXX has “Jerub Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel.” But the Targum has “Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, and Samuel,” while the Syriac Peshitta has “Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.”
  19. 1 Samuel 12:14 tn Heb “and you listen to his voice.”
  20. 1 Samuel 12:14 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord.” So also in v. 15.
  21. 1 Samuel 12:14 tn The words “all will be well” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  22. 1 Samuel 12:15 tn Heb “listen to the voice of.”
  23. 1 Samuel 12:15 tc The LXX reads “your king” rather than the MT’s “your fathers.” The latter makes little sense here. Some follow MT, but translate “as it was against your fathers.” See P. K. McCarter, 1 Samuel (AB), 212.
  24. 1 Samuel 12:19 tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”
  25. 1 Samuel 12:20 tn Heb “you have done all this evil.”
  26. 1 Samuel 12:21 tn Or “useless” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “nothing”; NASB “futile”; TEV “are not real.”
  27. 1 Samuel 12:22 tn Heb “on account of his great name.”
Listen to 撒母耳记上 12
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撒母耳记上 12
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

撒母耳的临别警戒

12 撒母耳对以色列人说：“看啊，我已照你们的要求为你们立了一个王。 2 你们已经有君王了。我自幼带领你们，现在已年老发白，我的儿子也都在你们这里。 3 如今我站在这里，你们只管在耶和华和祂膏立的王面前为我作证，我夺过谁的牛？抢过谁的驴？欺骗过谁？压迫过谁？收过谁的贿赂而徇私枉法？如果有的话，我一定偿还。” 4 他们答道：“你没有欺骗、压迫过我们，也没有拿过任何人的东西。” 5 撒母耳对他们说：“耶和华和祂所膏立的王今天为我作证，我没有拿过你们任何人的东西。”他们说：“是的，耶和华为证。”

6 撒母耳继续说：“是耶和华派摩西和亚伦带领你们的祖先离开埃及。 7 现在，你们都要站在耶和华面前，让我来提醒你们有关耶和华过去曾为你们和你们祖先所做的一切公义作为。 8 从前，雅各曾迁到埃及，你们的祖先受到埃及人的压迫，向耶和华呼求，耶和华就差遣摩西和亚伦带领他们离开埃及，来到这里居住。 9 他们却忘记了他们的上帝耶和华，于是耶和华让他们落入夏琐的将军西西拉、非利士人和摩押王的手中，这些人常常攻击他们。 10 他们就向耶和华呼求，‘耶和华啊，我们犯了罪，我们背弃了你去供奉巴力和亚斯她录，现在求你从仇敌手中救我们，我们必事奉你。’ 11 耶和华就派耶路·巴力、比但、耶弗他和撒母耳[a]从周围的敌人手中救你们，使你们安然居住。 12 可是你们看到亚扪王拿辖来攻击你们，就对我说，‘不行，我们要有一个王来统治我们。’其实你们的上帝耶和华就是你们的王。 13 现在，你们所求所选的王在这里，耶和华为你们立了一位王。 14 如果你们敬畏耶和华，事奉祂，听从祂的吩咐，不违背祂的命令，你们和统治你们的王都愿意跟从祂，一切都会顺利。 15 如果你们不听从耶和华的话，违背祂的命令，祂就会像从前惩罚你们的祖先一样惩罚你们。 16 现在你们站着留心看，耶和华就要在你们面前行一件大事。 17 你们都知道收割麦子的时候不会下雨。现在，我要向耶和华祷告，求祂打雷降雨，好让你们知道，你们要求立王在耶和华眼中是多么大的罪。” 18 于是，撒母耳向耶和华呼求，耶和华便在当天打雷降雨，民众非常害怕耶和华和撒母耳。

19 他们求撒母耳，说：“求你为仆人们向你的上帝耶和华祈祷，免得我们死亡！因为我们要求立王是罪上加罪。” 20 撒母耳说：“不要害怕，你们虽然做了这恶事，但不可离开耶和华，要全心全意地事奉祂。 21 不要去追求其他虚无的假神，它们对你们毫无益处，也不能拯救你们。 22 耶和华不会丢弃祂的子民，使自己的大名受损，祂乐意使你们做祂的子民。 23 至于我，我会不断地为你们祈祷，免得我得罪耶和华。我会教导你们行善道、走正路。 24 你们要单单敬畏耶和华，全心全意地事奉他，想想他为你们做了何等伟大的事。 25 可是，如果你们仍然继续行恶，你们和你们的王都必灭亡。”

Footnotes

  1. 12:11 “耶路·巴力、比但、耶弗他和撒母耳”有古卷作“基甸、巴拉、耶弗他和参孙”。
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