1 Samuel 12

Samuel’s Farewell Address

1Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. 2Now here is the king, walking before you. As for me, 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 stand. Testify against me in the presence of Yahweh and his anointed one. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to look the other way? I will make it right.” 4They said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.” 5Samuel said to them, “Yahweh is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hand.” “He is witness,” they said. 6Samuel said to the people, “It is Yahweh who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up out of the land of Egypt. 7Now then, take your stand, so that I may confront you before Yahweh regarding all the righteous acts of Yahweh that he did for you and your ancestors. 8After Jacob had entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. 9But they forgot Yahweh their God, so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, who fought against them. 10They cried out to Yahweh and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken Yahweh and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11Then Yahweh sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. 12But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to reign over us’ — even though Yahweh your God was your king. 13Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for. See, Yahweh has set a king over you. 14If you fear Yahweh and serve him, listen to his voice and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow Yahweh your God — good. 15But if you do not listen to Yahweh’s voice, and you rebel against his commands, then the hand of Yahweh will be against you, as it was against your ancestors. 16Now then, take your stand and see this great thing that Yahweh is about to do before your eyes. 17Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call on Yahweh, and he will send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see how great is the evil you have done in the eyes of Yahweh by asking for a king.” 18Then Samuel called on Yahweh, and that same day Yahweh sent thunder and rain. And all the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel. 19All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to Yahweh your God for your servants, so that we do not die — for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king.” 20“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have indeed done all this evil, yet do not turn away from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart. 21Do not turn away after worthless things that can do you no good and cannot rescue you, for they are worthless. 22For the sake of his great name, Yahweh will not abandon his people, since Yahweh was pleased to make you his own people. 23As for me, far be it from me to sin against Yahweh by failing to pray for you. I will keep teaching you the good and right way. 24Only fear Yahweh and serve him faithfully with all your heart — consider the great things he has done for you. 25But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”