Add parallel Print Page Options

Samuel’s Farewell Address

12 Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king. Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you—an old, gray-haired man—and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day. Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”

“No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”

“The Lord and his anointed one are my witnesses today,” Samuel declared, “that my hands are clean.”

“Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.

“It was the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt. Now stand here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of all the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors.

“When the Israelites were[a] in Egypt and cried out to the Lord, he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land. But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.

10 “Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from the Lord and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.’ 11 Then the Lord sent Gideon,[b] Bedan,[c] Jephthah, and Samuel[d] to save you, and you lived in safety.

12 “But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king. 13 All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the Lord has granted your request.

14 “Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God. 15 But if you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.

16 “Now stand here and see the great thing the Lord is about to do. 17 You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”

18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel. 19 “Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we will die!” they all said to Samuel. “For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king.”

20 “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him. 21 Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! 22 The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.

23 “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. 25 But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”

Footnotes

  1. 12:8 Hebrew When Jacob was. The names “Jacob” and “Israel” are often interchanged throughout the Old Testament, referring sometimes to the individual patriarch and sometimes to the nation.
  2. 12:11a Hebrew Jerub-baal, another name for Gideon; see Judg 6:32.
  3. 12:11b Greek and Syriac versions read Barak.
  4. 12:11c Greek and Syriac versions read Samson.

Discurso de despedida de Samuel

12 Entonces Samuel se dirigió a todo Israel:

—He hecho lo que me han pedido y les he dado un rey. Ahora el rey es su líder. Estoy aquí delante de ustedes—un hombre ya viejo y canoso—y mis hijos les sirven. He sido su líder desde mi niñez hasta el día de hoy. Ahora testifiquen contra mí en presencia del Señor y ante su ungido. ¿A quién le he robado un buey o un burro? ¿Alguna vez he estafado a alguno de ustedes? ¿Alguna vez los he oprimido? ¿Alguna vez he aceptado soborno o he pervertido la justicia? Díganmelo y corregiré cualquier cosa incorrecta que haya hecho.

—No—le contestaron ellos—, nunca nos has engañado ni oprimido y nunca has aceptado soborno alguno.

—El Señor y su ungido son mis testigos hoy—declaró Samuel—de que mis manos están limpias.

—Sí, él es nuestro testigo—respondieron.

—Fue el Señor quien designó a Moisés y a Aarón—continuó Samuel—. Él sacó a sus antepasados de la tierra de Egipto. Ahora, permanezcan aquí en silencio delante del Señor mientras les recuerdo todas las grandes cosas que el Señor ha hecho por ustedes y por sus antepasados.

»Cuando los israelitas estaban[a] en Egipto y clamaron al Señor, él envió a Moisés y a Aarón para rescatarlos de Egipto y traerlos a esta tierra. Sin embargo, los israelitas pronto se olvidaron del Señor su Dios, entonces él los entregó a Sísara, el comandante del ejército de Hazor, y también a los filisteos y al rey de Moab, quienes lucharon contra ellos.

10 »Entonces clamaron al Señor nuevamente y confesaron: “Hemos pecado al apartarnos del Señor y al rendir culto a las imágenes de Baal y Astoret. Pero te adoraremos a ti y solo a ti si nos rescatas de nuestros enemigos”. 11 Luego el Señor envió a Gedeón,[b] a Bedán,[c] a Jefté y a Samuel[d] para salvarlos, y ustedes vivieron a salvo.

12 »Pero cuando tuvieron miedo de Nahas, rey de Amón, vinieron a mí y dijeron que querían un rey para que gobernara sobre ustedes, aun cuando el Señor su Dios ya era su rey. 13 Está bien, aquí está el rey que han escogido. Ustedes lo pidieron y el Señor se lo concedió.

14 »Ahora, si ustedes temen al Señor y lo adoran, si escuchan su voz y no se rebelan contra sus mandatos, entonces tanto ustedes como su rey demostrarán que reconocen al Señor como su Dios. 15 Pero si se rebelan contra los mandatos del Señor y rehúsan escucharlo, entonces su mano será tan dura con ustedes como ha sido con sus antepasados.

16 »Ahora quédense aquí y vean la maravilla que el Señor está a punto de hacer. 17 Ustedes saben que nunca llueve en esta época del año durante la cosecha de trigo. Le pediré al Señor que hoy envíe truenos y lluvia. ¡Entonces se darán cuenta de qué tan perversos han sido al pedirle al Señor un rey!

18 Entonces Samuel clamó al Señor, y ese mismo día envió truenos y lluvia. Y todo el pueblo quedó aterrado del Señor y de Samuel.

19 —¡Ora al Señor tu Dios por nosotros o moriremos!—le dijeron a Samuel—. A nuestras faltas hemos agregado el pecado de pedir un rey.

20 —No teman—los tranquilizó Samuel—, de verdad han hecho mal, pero ahora asegúrense de adorar al Señor con todo el corazón y no le den la espalda. 21 No vuelvan a rendir culto a ídolos despreciables que no pueden ayudarlos o rescatarlos, ¡son completamente inútiles! 22 El Señor no abandonará a su pueblo, porque eso traería deshonra a su gran nombre. Pues le agradó al Señor hacerlos su pueblo.

23 »En cuanto a mí, ciertamente no pecaré contra el Señor al dejar de orar por ustedes. Y seguiré enseñándoles lo que es bueno y correcto. 24 Por su parte, asegúrense de temer al Señor y de servirlo fielmente. Piensen en todas las cosas maravillosas que él ha hecho por ustedes. 25 Pero si siguen pecando, ustedes y su rey serán destruidos.

Footnotes

  1. 12:8 En hebreo Cuando Jacob estaba. Los nombres «Jacob» e «Israel» a menudo son intercambiables en el Antiguo Testamento. Algunas veces hacen referencia al patriarca como individuo y otras veces a la nación.
  2. 12:11a En hebreo Jerobaal, otro nombre para Gedeón; ver Jc 6:32.
  3. 12:11b La versión griega y la siríaca dicen Barac.
  4. 12:11c La versión griega y la siríaca dicen Sansón.

Samuel’s Farewell Speech

12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened(A) to everything you said to me and have set a king(B) over you. Now you have a king as your leader.(C) As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons(D) are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed.(E) Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey(F) have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe(G) to make me shut my eyes? If I have done(H) any of these things, I will make it right.”(I)

“You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

Samuel said to them, “The Lord is witness(J) against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything(K) in my hand.(L)

“He is witness,” they said.

Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought(M) your ancestors up out of Egypt. Now then, stand(N) here, because I am going to confront(O) you with evidence before the Lord as to all the righteous acts(P) performed by the Lord for you and your ancestors.

“After Jacob(Q) entered Egypt, they cried(R) to the Lord for help, and the Lord sent(S) Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

“But they forgot(T) the Lord their God; so he sold them(U) into the hand of Sisera,(V) the commander of the army of Hazor,(W) and into the hands of the Philistines(X) and the king of Moab,(Y) who fought against them. 10 They cried(Z) out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken(AA) the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths.(AB) But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11 Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal,[a](AC) Barak,[b](AD) Jephthah(AE) and Samuel,[c](AF) and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.

12 “But when you saw that Nahash(AG) king(AH) of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule(AI) over us’—even though the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now here is the king(AJ) you have chosen, the one you asked(AK) for; see, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you fear(AL) the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel(AM) against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! 15 But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against(AN) his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.

16 “Now then, stand still(AO) and see(AP) this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! 17 Is it not wheat harvest(AQ) now? I will call(AR) on the Lord to send thunder(AS) and rain.(AT) And you will realize what an evil(AU) thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”

18 Then Samuel called on the Lord,(AV) and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe(AW) of the Lord and of Samuel.

19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray(AX) to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die,(AY) for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil;(AZ) yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless(BA) idols.(BB) They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake(BC) of his great name(BD) the Lord will not reject(BE) his people, because the Lord was pleased to make(BF) you his own. 23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray(BG) for you. And I will teach(BH) you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear(BI) the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart;(BJ) consider(BK) what great(BL) things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist(BM) in doing evil, both you and your king(BN) will perish.”(BO)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 12:11 Also called Gideon
  2. 1 Samuel 12:11 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew Bedan
  3. 1 Samuel 12:11 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac Samson