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1 Samuel 12
Nouvelle Edition de Genève – NEG1979
1 Samuel 12
Nouvelle Edition de Genève – NEG1979
Avertissements et exhortations de Samuel
12 Samuel dit à tout Israël: Voici, j’ai écouté votre voix dans tout ce que vous m’avez dit, et j’ai établi un roi sur vous. 2 Et maintenant, voici le roi qui marchera devant vous. Pour moi, je suis vieux, j’ai blanchi, et mes fils sont avec vous; j’ai marché à votre tête, depuis ma jeunesse jusqu’à ce jour. 3 Me voici! Rendez témoignage contre moi, en présence de l’Eternel et en présence de son oint. De qui ai-je pris le bœuf et de qui ai-je pris l’âne? Qui ai-je opprimé, et qui ai-je traité durement? De qui ai-je reçu un présent, pour fermer les yeux sur lui? Je vous le rendrai.
4 Ils répondirent: Tu ne nous as point opprimés, et tu ne nous as point traités durement, et tu n’as rien reçu de la main de personne.
5 Il leur dit encore: L’Eternel est témoin contre vous, et son oint est témoin, en ce jour, que vous n’avez rien trouvé dans mes mains. Et ils répondirent: Nous en sommes témoins.
6 Alors Samuel dit au peuple: C’est l’Eternel qui a établi Moïse et Aaron, et qui a fait monter vos pères du pays d’Egypte. 7 Maintenant, présentez-vous, et je vous jugerai devant l’Eternel sur tous les bienfaits que l’Eternel vous a accordés, à vous et à vos pères. 8 Après que Jacob fut venu en Egypte, vos pères crièrent à l’Eternel, et l’Eternel envoya Moïse et Aaron, qui firent sortir vos pères d’Egypte et les firent habiter dans ce lieu. 9 Mais ils oublièrent l’Eternel, leur Dieu; et il les vendit entre les mains de Sisera, chef de l’armée de Hatsor, entre les mains des Philistins, et entre les mains du roi de Moab, qui leur firent la guerre. 10 Ils crièrent encore à l’Eternel, et dirent: Nous avons péché, car nous avons abandonné l’Eternel, et nous avons servi les Baals et les Astartés; délivre-nous maintenant de la main de nos ennemis, et nous te servirons. 11 Et l’Eternel envoya Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephté et Samuel, et il vous délivra de la main de vos ennemis qui vous entouraient, et vous demeurâtes en sécurité. 12 Puis, voyant que Nachasch, roi des fils d’Ammon, marchait contre vous, vous m’avez dit: Non! mais un roi régnera sur nous. Et cependant l’Eternel, votre Dieu, était votre roi. 13 Voici donc le roi que vous avez choisi, que vous avez demandé; voici, l’Eternel a mis sur vous un roi. 14 Si vous craignez l’Eternel, si vous le servez, si vous obéissez à sa voix, et si vous n’êtes point rebelles à la parole de l’Eternel, vous vous attacherez à l’Eternel, votre Dieu, vous et le roi qui règne sur vous. 15 Mais si vous n’obéissez pas à la voix de l’Eternel, et si vous êtes rebelles à la parole de l’Eternel, la main de l’Eternel sera contre vous, comme elle a été contre vos pères. 16 Attendez encore ici, et voyez le prodige que l’Eternel va opérer sous vos yeux. 17 Ne sommes-nous pas à la moisson des blés? J’invoquerai l’Eternel, et il enverra du tonnerre et de la pluie. Sachez alors et voyez combien vous avez eu tort aux yeux de l’Eternel de demander pour vous un roi.
18 Samuel invoqua l’Eternel, et l’Eternel envoya ce même jour du tonnerre et de la pluie. Tout le peuple eut une grande crainte de l’Eternel et de Samuel. 19 Et tout le peuple dit à Samuel: Prie l’Eternel, ton Dieu, pour tes serviteurs, afin que nous ne mourions pas; car nous avons ajouté à tous nos péchés le tort de demander pour nous un roi. 20 Samuel dit au peuple: N’ayez point de crainte! Vous avez fait tout ce mal; mais ne vous détournez pas de l’Eternel, et servez l’Eternel de tout votre cœur. 21 Ne vous en détournez pas; sinon, vous iriez après des choses de néant, qui n’apportent ni profit ni délivrance, parce que ce sont des choses de néant. 22 L’Eternel n’abandonnera point son peuple, à cause de son grand nom, car l’Eternel a résolu de faire de vous son peuple. 23 Loin de moi aussi de pécher contre l’Eternel, de cesser de prier pour vous! Je vous enseignerai le bon et le droit chemin. 24 Craignez seulement l’Eternel, et servez-le fidèlement de tout votre cœur; car voyez quelle puissance il déploie parmi vous. 25 Mais si vous faites le mal, vous périrez, vous et votre roi.
1 Samuel 12
New International Version
1 Samuel 12
New International Version
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. 2 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. 3 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)
4 “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”
5 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.
6 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought(M) your ancestors up out of Egypt. 7 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.
8 “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.
9 “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 Samuel 12:11 Also called Gideon
- 1 Samuel 12:11 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew Bedan
- 1 Samuel 12:11 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac Samson
1 Samuel 12
King James Version
1 Samuel 12
King James Version
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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
1 Samuel 12
English Standard Version
1 Samuel 12
English Standard Version
Samuel's Farewell Address
12 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed (A)your voice in all that you have said to me (B)and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king (C)walks before you, (D)and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before (E)his anointed. (F)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 any man's hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and (G)his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything (H)in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”
6 And Samuel said to the people, (I)“The Lord is witness,[b] who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers. 8 (J)When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them,[c] (K)then your fathers cried out to the Lord and (L)the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, (M)who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. 9 But (N)they forgot the Lord their God. (O)And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor,[d] (P)and into the hand of the Philistines, (Q)and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 (R)And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord (S)and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now (T)deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ 11 And the Lord sent (U)Jerubbaal (V)and Barak[e] (W)and Jephthah and (X)Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12 And when you saw that (Y)Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, (Z)you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ (AA)when the Lord your God was your king. 13 And now (AB)behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, (AC)the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will (AD)fear the Lord and serve him and obey 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 (AE)if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then (AF)the hand of the Lord will be against you and (AG)your king.[f] 16 Now therefore (AH)stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 (AI)Is it not wheat harvest today? (AJ)I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that (AK)your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, (AL)and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
19 And all the people said to Samuel, (AM)“Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet (AN)do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And (AO)do not turn aside after (AP)empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 (AQ)For the Lord will not forsake his people, (AR)for his great name's sake, because (AS)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 (AT)to pray for you, (AU)and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 (AV)Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider (AW)what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, (AX)you shall be swept away, (AY)both you and your king.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 12:3 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks Testify against me
- 1 Samuel 12:6 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks is witness
- 1 Samuel 12:8 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and the Egyptians oppressed them
- 1 Samuel 12:9 Septuagint the army of Jabin king of Hazor
- 1 Samuel 12:11 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew Bedan
- 1 Samuel 12:15 Septuagint; Hebrew fathers
Nouvelle Edition de Genève – NEG1979 (NEG1979)
Nouvelle Edition de Genève Copyright © 1979 by Société Biblique de Genève
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.