THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,

1 Samuel 12 ©

After that Samuel had appointed a king unto the people, v. 1, etc. He rehearses how he himself had reigned, 2. And requires witness thereof, 3. Which the people do give him, 4. Samuel sets before the eyes of the people the sin they had committed in rejecting the Lord, and asking a king, 7. But he comforts them again if they would obey the Lord, 14. And threatens them, if they obey him not, 15. By an unexpected sign he so terrifies them, 16. That they, acknowledging and confessing their offence, desire to be reconciled to the Lord, 19. Samuel comforts the people, 20. Promising likewise to pray for them, 23. Exhorting them again to fear and serve the Lord, 24.

1

AND1 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.

2

And now, behold, 2the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons 3are 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 4his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I 5oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any 6bribe to 7blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

4

And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand.

5

And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that 8ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

6

¶And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that 9advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

7

Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the 10righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.

8

Whena Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers 11criedb unto the LORD, then the LORD sentc Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell 12in this place.

9

And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera,d captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hande of the Philistines, and into the hand of the 13kingf of Moab, and they fought against them.

10

And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

11

And the LORD sent 14Jerubbaal,g andh15Bedan, and Jephthah,i 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, yej said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king.

13

Now therefore behold the king whomk16ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD 17hath set a king over you.

14

If yel 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 18continue 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, 19as it was against your fathers.

16

¶Now therefore 20stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

17

Is it 21not 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 great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

18

So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19

And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray 22for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto 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: 23yet turn not aside 24from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

21

And 25turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after 26vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

22

For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

23

Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but 27I will teach you the good and the right way:

24

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

25

But if ye shall 28still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.