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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.”
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1 Samuel 12
Legacy Standard Bible

Samuel Speaks to Israel

12 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, (A)I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and I (B)have [a]appointed a king over you. 2 So now, (C)here is the king walking before you, but (D)I am old and gray, and behold, (E)my sons are with you. And (F)I have walked before you from my youth even to this day. 3 Here I am; bear witness against me before Yahweh and (G)His anointed. (H)Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or (I)from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you.” 4 And they said, “You have not extorted us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5 So he said to them, “Yahweh is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that (J)you have found nothing (K)in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

6 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is Yahweh who [b](L)appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. 7 So now, take your stand, (M)that I may judge you before Yahweh concerning all the righteous acts of Yahweh which He did for you and your fathers. 8 (N)When Jacob went into Egypt and (O)your fathers cried out to Yahweh, then (P)Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron [c](Q)who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. 9 But (R)they forgot Yahweh their God, so (S)He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and (T)into the hand of the Philistines and (U)into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 10 (V)And they cried out to Yahweh and said, ‘We have sinned because we have forsaken Yahweh and have served (W)the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but (X)now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ 11 Then Yahweh sent (Y)Jerubbaal and [d](Z)Bedan and (AA)Jephthah and (AB)Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security. 12 But you saw (AC)that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, and you said to me, ‘(AD)No, but a king shall reign over us,’ (AE)although Yahweh your God was your king. 13 So now, (AF)behold, the king whom you have chosen, (AG)whom you have asked for, and behold, Yahweh has set a king over you. 14 (AH)If you will fear Yahweh and serve Him and listen to His voice and not rebel against the [e]command of Yahweh, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow Yahweh your God. 15 (AI)But if you will not listen to the voice of Yahweh, but rebel against the [f]command of Yahweh, then (AJ)the hand of Yahweh will be against you, (AK)as it was against your fathers. 16 Even now, (AL)take your stand and see this great thing which Yahweh will do before your eyes. 17 (AM)Is it not the wheat harvest today? (AN)I will call to Yahweh, that He may send [g]thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that (AO)your wickedness is great which you have done in the eyes of Yahweh by asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called to Yahweh, and Yahweh sent [h]thunder and rain that day; and (AP)all the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel.

19 Then all the people said to Samuel, “(AQ)Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins (AR)this evil by asking for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet (AS)do not turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart. 21 And you must not turn aside, for then you would go after (AT)meaningless things which cannot profit and cannot deliver, because they are meaningless. 22 For (AU)Yahweh will not abandon His people (AV)on account of His great name, because Yahweh (AW)has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, (AX)far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you; but (AY)I will instruct you in the good and upright way. 24 (AZ)Only [i]fear Yahweh and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for see (BA)what great things He has done for you. 25 (BB)But if you still do wickedly, (BC)both you and your king (BD)will be swept away.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 12:1 Lit made
  2. 1 Samuel 12:6 Lit made
  3. 1 Samuel 12:8 Lit and they brought
  4. 1 Samuel 12:11 Gr and Syr Barak
  5. 1 Samuel 12:14 Lit mouth
  6. 1 Samuel 12:15 Lit mouth
  7. 1 Samuel 12:17 Lit sounds
  8. 1 Samuel 12:18 Lit sounds
  9. 1 Samuel 12:24 Or reverence
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