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1 Samuel 12:1-25 — Samuel's Farewell Speech

1Sam.12.1-25

¹Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to you in everything you said to me, and I have set a king over you.” ²Now here is the king walking before you. I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. ³Here I am. Testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I oppressed? Whom have I mistreated? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to overlook something? I will restore it to you." ⁴They said, “You have not oppressed us or mistreated us, and you have not taken anything from anyone's hand.” ⁵He said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.” ⁶Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. ⁷Now then, stand here, and let me reason with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD that he did for you and for your fathers. ⁸When Jacob came to Egypt, your fathers cried out to the LORD, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. ⁹But they forgot the LORD their God, and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and these fought against them. ¹⁰Then they cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.' ¹¹And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Bedan , Jephthah, and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hand of your enemies all around, so that you lived in safety. ¹²But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, 'No, a king must reign over us,' though the LORD your God was your king. ¹³Now here is the king whom you chose, the one you asked for; and indeed, the LORD has set a king over you. ¹⁴If you fear the LORD and serve him and listen to his voice and do not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God. ¹⁵But if you do not listen to the voice of the LORD and rebel against the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and against your fathers . ¹⁶Now then, stand here and see this great thing that the LORD is about to do before your eyes. ¹⁷Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, and he will send thunder and rain, so that you may know and see that your wickedness is great in the sight of the LORD, in asking for a king for yourselves. ¹⁸So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. ¹⁹Then all the people said to Samuel, “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 a king for ourselves.” ²⁰And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. ²¹Do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are useless. ²²For the LORD will not forsake his people, for the sake of his great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for himself. ²³As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and right way. ²⁴Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart, for see what great things he has done for you. ²⁵But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.

Translation Notes

4/11/2026

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