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.
And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and gray-headed; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.
Here I am: testify against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I injured? or of whose hand have I received any ransom and blinded mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it to you.
And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, and thou hast not injured us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man’s hand.
And he said unto them, Jehovah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand. And they answered, He is witness
And Samuel said unto the people, It is Jehovah that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
Now therefore stand still that I may reason with you before Jehovah of all the righteous acts of Jehovah which he did to you and to your fathers.
When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, and they brought your fathers forth out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.
And they forgot Jehovah their God, and 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.
And they cried to Jehovah and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah, and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths; and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies round about, so that ye dwelt in safety.
But when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said to me, Nay, but a king shall reign over us; when Jehovah your God was your king.
Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, Jehovah hath set a king over you.
If ye will fear Jehovah, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following Jehovah your God:
but if ye will not obey the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then shall the hand of Jehovah be against you, as it was against your fathers.
Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which Jehovah will do before your eyes.
Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto Jehovah, 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 Jehovah, in asking you a king.
So Samuel called unto Jehovah, and Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel.
And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto Jehovah thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.
And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart;
and turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.
For Jehovah will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake; because it has pleased Jehovah to make you his people.
Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to pray for you; and I will teach you the good and right way.
Only fear Jehovah, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you.
But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king