1 Samuel 12

¹ And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I haveI have granted your petition.hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

² And now, behold, the king walkethTo govern you in peace and war.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:God would have this confession be a pattern for all who have any charge or office.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 Then they sayde, Thou hast done vs no wrong, nor hast hurt vs, neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand.

⁵ And he said unto them, The LORD [is] witness against you, and hisYour King, who is anointed by the commandment of the Lord.anointed [is] witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, [He is] witness.

⁶ Then Samuel sayde vnto the people, It is the Lord that made Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt.

⁷ Nowe therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord according to all the righteousnesse of the Lorde, which he shewed to you and to your fathers.

⁸ After that Iaakob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried vnto the Lorde, then the Lorde sent Moses and Aaron which brought 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 Jabin's host, king of Hazor.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 vnto the Lorde, and saide, We haue sinned, because we haue forsaken the Lorde, and haue serued Baalim and Ashtaroth. Nowe therefore deliuer vs out of the handes of our enemies, and we will serue thee.

¹¹ And the LORD sent Jerubbaal,That is Samson, (Jdg_13:25).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,Leaving God to seek the help of man, (1Sa_8:5).Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God [was] your king.

¹³ Nowe therefore beholde the King whome yee haue chosen, and whome yee haue desired: loe therefore, the Lord hath set a King ouer 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 continueYou shall be preserved as they that follow the Lord's will.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 yourMeaning, the governors.fathers.

¹⁶ Nowe also stande and see this great thing which the Lord will doe 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]In that you have forsaken him, who has all power in his hand, for a mortal man.great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

¹⁸ Then Samuel called vnto the Lorde, and the Lorde sent thunder and raine the same day: and all the people feared the Lorde and Samuel exceedingly.

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 untoNot only at other times, but now chiefly.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:He shows that there is no sin so great, but it shall be forgiven, if the sinner turn again to God.yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

²¹ Neither turne yee backe: for that shoulde be after vaine things which cannot profite you, nor deliuer you, for they are but vanitie)

²² For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make youOf his free mercy, and not of your merits, and therefore he will not forsake you.his people.

²³ Moreouer God forbid, that I should sinne against the Lord, and cease praying for you, but I will shewe you the good and right way.

²⁴ Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all yourUnfeignedly, and without hypocrisy.heart: for consider how great [things] he hath done for you.

²⁵ But if ye doe wickedly, ye shal perish, both yee, and your King.