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12 At sinabi ni Samuel sa buong Israel, Narito, aking dininig ang inyong tinig sa lahat na inyong sinabi sa akin, at naghalal ako ng isang hari sa inyo.

At ngayo'y narito, ang hari ay lumalakad sa unahan ninyo; at ako'y matanda na at mauban; at, narito, ang aking mga anak ay kasama ninyo: at ako'y lumakad sa unahan ninyo mula sa aking kabataan hanggang sa araw na ito.

Narito ako: sumaksi kayo laban sa akin sa harap ng Panginoon, at sa harap ng kaniyang pinahiran ng langis: kung kaninong baka ang kinuha ko? kung kaninong asno ang kinuha ko? o kung sino ang aking dinaya? kung sino ang aking pinighati? o kung kaninong kamay ako kumuha ng suhol upang bulagin ang aking mga mata niyaon? at aking isasauli sa inyo.

At kanilang sinabi, Hindi ka nagdaya sa amin, ni pumighati man sa amin, ni tumanggap man ng anoman sa kamay ng sinoman.

At sinabi niya sa kanila, Ang Panginoon ay saksi laban sa inyo at ang kaniyang pinahiran ng langis ay saksi sa araw na ito na hindi kayo nakasumpong ng anoman sa aking kamay. At kanilang sinabi, Siya'y saksi.

At sinabi ni Samuel sa bayan, Ang Panginoon ang siyang naghalal kay Moises at kay Aaron, at siyang nagahon sa inyong mga magulang mula sa lupain ng Egipto.

Ngayon nga'y tumayo kayo, upang aking maisaysay sa inyo sa harap ng Panginoon ang tungkol sa lahat na matuwid na gawa ng Panginoon, na kaniyang ginawa sa inyo at sa inyong mga magulang.

Nang si Jacob ay makapasok sa Egipto, at ang inyong mga magulang ay dumaing sa Panginoon, sinugo nga ng Panginoon si Moises at si Aaron, na siyang nagsipaglabas sa inyong mga magulang mula sa Egipto, at pinatira sila sa dakong ito.

Nguni't nilimot nila ang Panginoon nilang Dios; at ipinagbili niya sila sa kamay ng Sisara, na kapitan ng hukbo ni Azor, at sa kamay ng mga Filisteo, at sa kamay ng hari sa Moab; at sila'y nakipaglaban sa kanila.

10 At sila'y dumaing sa Panginoon at nagsabi, Kami ay nagkasala, sapagka't pinabayaan namin ang Panginoon at naglingkod kami sa mga Baal at sa mga Astaroth: nguni't ngayo'y palayain mo kami sa kamay ng aming mga kaaway, at kami ay maglilingkod sa iyo.

11 At sinugo ng Panginoon si Jerobaal, at si Bedan, at si Jephte, at si Samuel, at pinapaging laya ko sa kamay ng inyong mga kaaway sa bawa't dako, at kayo'y tumahang tiwasay.

12 At nang makita ninyo na si Naas na hari ng mga anak ni Ammon ay naparito laban sa inyo, ay inyong sinabi sa akin, Hindi, kundi isang hari ang maghahari sa amin; dangang ang Panginoon ninyong Dios ay siya ninyong hari.

13 Ngayon nga'y masdan ninyo ang hari na inyong pinili, at siya ninyong hiningi: at, narito, nilagyan kayo ng Panginoon ng isang hari sa inyo.

14 Kung kayo'y matatakot sa Panginoon, at maglilingkod sa kaniya, at makikinig sa kaniyang tinig, at hindi manghihimagsik laban sa utos ng Panginoon, at kayo at gayon din ang hari na naghahari sa inyo ay maging masunurin sa Panginoon ninyong Dios, ay mabuti:

15 Nguni't kung hindi ninyo didinggin ang tinig ng Panginoon, kundi manghihimagsik kayo laban sa utos ng Panginoon, ay magiging laban nga sa inyo ang kamay ng Panginoon gaya sa inyong mga magulang.

16 Ngayon nga'y tumahimik kayo at tingnan ninyo itong dakilang bagay na gagawin ng Panginoon sa harap ng inyong mga mata.

17 Hindi ba pagaani ng trigo sa araw na ito? Ako'y tatawag sa Panginoon, na siya'y magpapasapit ng kulog at ulan; at inyong malalaman at makikita na ang inyong kasamaan ay dakila, na inyong ginawa sa paningin ng Panginoon sa paghingi ninyo ng isang hari.

18 Sa gayo'y tumawag si Samuel sa Panginoon; at ang Panginoon ay nagpasapit ng kulog at ulan ng araw na yaon: at ang buong bayan ay natakot na mainam sa Panginoon at kay Samuel.

19 At sinabi ng buong bayan kay Samuel, Ipanalangin mo ang iyong mga lingkod sa Panginoon mong Dios, upang huwag kaming mamatay; sapagka't aming idinagdag sa lahat ng aming mga kasalanan ang kasamaang ito, na humingi kami para sa amin ng isang hari.

20 At sinabi ni Samuel sa bayan, Huwag kayong matakot: tunay na inyong ginawa ang buong kasamaang ito; gayon ma'y huwag kayong lumihis ng pagsunod sa Panginoon, kundi kayo'y maglingkod ng buong puso sa Panginoon.

21 At huwag kayong lumiko; sapagka't kung gayo'y susunod kayo sa mga walang kabuluhang bagay na hindi ninyo mapapakinabangan o makapagpapalaya man, sapagka't mga walang kabuluhan.

22 Sapagka't hindi pababayaan ng Panginoon ang kaniyang bayan dahil sa kaniyang dakilang pangalan, sapagka't kinalulugdan ng Panginoon na gawin kayong bayan niya.

23 Saka sa ganang akin, malayo nawang sa akin na ako'y magkasala laban sa Panginoon sa paglilikat ng pananalangin dahil sa inyo: kundi ituturo ko sa inyo ang mabuti at matuwid na daan.

24 Matakot lamang kayo sa Panginoon, at maglingkod kayo sa kaniya sa katotohanan ng inyong buong puso; dilidilihin nga ninyo kung gaanong dakilang mga bagay ang kaniyang ginawa sa inyo.

25 Nguni't kung kayo'y mamamalaging gagawa ng kasamaan, kayo'y malilipol, kayo at gayon din ang inyong hari.

Samuel Addresses Israel

12 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in everything that you have said to me and have appointed a king over you. And now, here is the king walking before you. As for me, I am old and gray, and here are my sons with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day. Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and [Saul] His anointed [if I have done someone wrong]. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes [to the truth]? [Tell me and] I will restore it to you.” They said, “You have not exploited us or oppressed us or taken anything at all from a man’s hand.” Samuel said to them, “The Lord is a witness against you, and [Saul] His anointed is a witness this day that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they answered, “He is a witness.”

Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers (ancestors) up from the land of Egypt. Now then, take your stand, so that I may plead and contend with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did for you and for your fathers. When Jacob [and his sons] had come into Egypt [and later when the Egyptians oppressed them] and your [a]fathers cried out to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. But when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of [b]Sisera, commander of Hazor’s army, and into the hand of the Philistines and of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 10 They cried out to the Lord, saying, ‘We have sinned because we have abandoned (rejected) the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now rescue us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ 11 Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal (Gideon) and [c]Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and He rescued you from the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in security.

The King Confirmed

12 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites had come against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us’—although the Lord your God was your King. 13 Now therefore, here is [Saul] the king whom you have chosen, and for whom you asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord [with awe and profound reverence] and serve Him and listen to His voice and not rebel against His commandment, then both you and your king will follow the Lord your God [and it will be well]. 15 But if you do not listen to the Lord’s voice, but rebel against His [d]command, then the hand of the Lord will be against you [to punish you], as it was against your fathers. 16 So now, take your stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 Is it not [the beginning of the] wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord and He will send thunder and rain; then you will know [without any doubt], and see that your evil which you have done is great in the sight of the Lord by asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called to the Lord [in prayer], and He sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, [e]so that we will not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil—to ask for a king for ourselves.” 20 Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid. You have [indeed] done all this evil; yet do not turn away from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 You must not turn away, for then you would go after futile things which cannot profit or rescue, because they are futile. 22 The Lord will not abandon His people for His great name’s sake, because the Lord has been pleased 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; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. 24 Only fear the Lord [with awe and profound reverence] and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. 25 But if you still do evil, both you and your king will be swept away [to destruction].”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 12:8 I.e. the descendants of Jacob (Israel) and his twelve sons.
  2. 1 Samuel 12:9 These may be representatives of Israel’s enemies during the time of the Judges: Sisera of Hazor to the north, the Philistines to the west, and Moab to the south and west.
  3. 1 Samuel 12:11 Greek and Syriac read Barak.
  4. 1 Samuel 12:15 Lit mouth.
  5. 1 Samuel 12:19 The fifty days between the beginning of the barley harvest (Passover) and the end of the wheat harvest (Pentecost) are called the “days of trepidation.” During these fifty days, the farmers pray that it will not rain because all the major crops of the land (the seven varieties of Deut 8:7-10) come to fruition during this time. The rain destroys crops in the field and any produce that has been harvested and covered. The resulting famine from the crop failure would result in many deaths.

12 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

Behold, here I am: witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand.

And he said unto them, The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

¶ And Samuel said unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers.

When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

And when they forgat 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: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king.

13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you.

14 If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God:

15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16 ¶ Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes.

17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king.

18 So Samuel called unto the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

20 ¶ And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;

21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

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 as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

24 Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.