12 Samuel then said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me and have appointed a king over you.

² “Now, therefore, behold! Your king walks before you. And I am old and grayheaded. And behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my childhood to 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 donkey have I taken? Or, to whom have I done wrong? Or, whom have I hurt? Or, of whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? And I will restore it you.”

⁴ Then they said, “You have done us no wrong. Nor have you hurt us. Nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.”

⁵ And he said to them, “The LORD is Witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hands.” And they answered, “Witness!”

⁶ Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the LORD Who made Moses and Aaron, and Who brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt.

⁷ “Now, therefore, stand still, so 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 Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the LORD, the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who 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 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 “And they cried to the LORD, and said, ‘We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served Baal and Ashtoreth! Now, therefore, deliver us out of the hands of our enemies and we will serve You!’

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 you dwelled safely.

¹² “Nevertheless, when you saw that Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, came against you, you said to me, ‘No! But a king shall reign over us!’ When the LORD your God was still your King.

¹³ “Now, therefore, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have desired. Lo, therefore, the LORD has set a king over you.

¹⁴ “If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and hear His Voice, and not disobey the Word of the LORD, both you and the king who reigns over you shall follow the LORD your God.

¹⁵ “But if you will not obey the Voice of the LORD, but disobey the LORD’s Mouth, then the Hand of the LORD shall 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 to the LORD; and He shall send thunder and rain, so that you may perceive and see how great your wickedness is which you have done in the sight of the LORD in asking for a king for yourselves.”

¹⁸ Then Samuel called to 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 to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we do not die. For we have sinned in asking for a king for ourselves, in addition to all our other sins.”

²⁰ And Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear! You have indeed done all this wickedness. Still, do not depart from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart!

²¹ “Do not turn back, either! For that would be after meaningless things which cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are but empty.

²² “For 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 “Moreover, may it never be that I should sin against the LORD and cease praying for you! But I will show you the good and right way.

²⁴ “Therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in the truth with all your hearts, and consider what great things He has done for you.

²⁵ “But if you do wickedly, you shall perish, both you and your king.”