Samuel’s Final Public Speech
1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you.
2 Now you can see that the king is leading you. As for me, I’m old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until today.
3 Here I am. Bring charges against me before theLordand His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken?Whom have I wronged or mistreated? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to overlook something?I will return it to you.”
4 “You haven’t wronged us, you haven’t mistreated us, and you haven’t taken anything from anyone’s hand,” they responded.
5 He said to them, “TheLordis a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today that you haven’t found anythingin my hand.”
“He is a witness,” they said.
6 Then Samuel said to the people, “TheLord, who appointed Moses and Aaronand who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness.
7 Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before theLordabout all the righteous acts He has done for you and your ancestors.
8 “When Jacob went to Egypt,your ancestors cried out to theLord,and He sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
9 But they forgot theLordtheir God, so He handed them over to Siseracommander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab.These enemies fought against them.
10 Then they cried out to theLordand said, ‘We have sinned, for we abandoned theLordand worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the power of our enemies,and we will serve You.’
11 So theLordsent Jerubbaal,Barak,Jephthah,and Samuel.He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely.
12 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king rule over us’ — even though theLordyour God is your king.
13 “Now here is the king you’ve chosen,the one you requested.Look, this is the king theLordhas placed over you.
14 If you fear theLord,worship and obey Him, and if you don’t rebel against theLord’s command, then both you and the king who rules over you will follow theLordyour God.
15 However, if you disobey theLordand rebel against His command, theLord’s hand will be against youand against your ancestors.
16 “Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that theLordwill do before your eyes.
17 Isn’t the wheat harvest today?I will call on theLordand He will send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you committed in theLord’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves.”
18 Samuel called on theLord, and on that day theLordsent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared theLordand Samuel.
19 They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to theLordyour God for your servants,so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.”
20 Samuel replied, “Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following theLord.Instead, worship theLordwith all your heart.
21 Don’t turn away to follow worthlessthings that can’t profit or deliver you; they are worthless.
22 TheLordwill not abandon His people,because of His great name and because He has determined to make you His own people.
23 “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against theLordby ceasing to pray for you.I will teach you the good and right way.
24 Above all, fear theLordand worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you.
25 However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”
—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/1SA/12-9130e6a9f302afab531cebe0b498f499.mp3?version_id=72—