1 Samuel

1 Samuel 12 ©

1 Samuel calleth upon the people, and receiveth from them an ample justification of his integrity. 6 He chargeth them with ingratitude in rejecting God's government, and warneth them against future disobedience. To convince them of their offence in asking a king, 18 he calleth for thunder and rain in the time of harvest to their great dismay; 20 but encourageth them with the assurance of divine favour, if they will but fear the Lord, and serve him heartily.

1

AND Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have ahearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.

a ch. 8.5,9,19,20,22; 10.1,24; 11.14,15.
2

And now, behold, the king bwalketh before you: and cI am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

b Nu. 27.16,17. ch. 8.1-5,20.
c Ps. 71.18. 2Pe. 1.14. 2Ti. 4.6.
3

Behold, here I am : witness against me before the LORD, and before dhis anointed: ewhose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or fof whose hand have I received any 1bribe 2to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

d ch. 24.6; 26.9,11,16; 10.1. 2Sa. 1.14,16.
e Nu. 16.15. Re. 14.5. 1Th. 2.10. Ac. 23.1; 24.16. 2Co. 1.12. 1Th. 2.10.
f Ac. 20.33. De. 16.19. Is. 33.15. ch. 8.3.
4

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

g Da. 6.4. Ac. 22.12. 3Jn. 12.
5

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

h 1Th. 2.10. Ac. 24.16. Ge. 31.53; 16.5.
i v.1. ch. 10.1; 24.6; 26.9,11,16.
6

¶And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD jthat 3advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

j Ex. 3-14. Ne. 9. Ps. 77; 78; 105; 106; 135; 136. Eze. 20.
7

Now therefore stand still, that I kmay reason with you before the LORD of all the 4righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and 5to your fathers.

k Is. 1.18; 63.7-13. Mi. 6.3,4. De. 1-11. Eze. 20.
8

When lJacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers mcried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

l Ge. 46. Ex. 1-14. Nu. 32. Jos. 4-21. Ps. 78; 105; 135; 114; 136. Ne. 9.7-25.
m Ex. 2.23.
9

And nwhen they forgat the LORD their God, ohe sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of pthe Philistines, and into the hand of the king qof Moab, and they fought against them.

n Ju. 3; 4; 10; 13. De. 32.15-25. Ne. 9.26-30. Is. 63.10. Eze. 20.28.
o Ju. 4.2.
p Ju. 3.31; 10.7; 13.1.
q Ju. 3.12.
10

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

r Ju. 3.9; 4.3; 6.6; 10.10,15. ch. 7.2,6. Ps. 78.34,35. Is. 26.16. Ho. 5.15.
s Ju. 2.13.
11

And the tLORD sent uJerubbaal, and Bedan, and vJephthah, and wSamuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

t Ju. 6.1; 10.3; 11. ch. 7.
u Ju. 6.14,32.
v Ju. 11.1.
w ch. 7.10-13.
12

And xwhen ye saw that yNahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, zye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when athe LORD your God was byour king.

a Ju. 8.23.
b Nu. 23.21. Ge. 17.7. Ex. 19.5,6. Is. 33.22. Ps. 74.12. Ho. 13.10.
x ch. 11; 8. Ho. 13.10,11; 8.4. Ju. 8.23.
y Ju. 11.1.
z ch. 8.5,19.
13

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

c ch. 10.24; 11.15; 8.5,7. Ho. 13.11. Ac. 13.21.
d ch. 9.20.
14

If eye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the 6commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you 7continue following the LORD your God:

e Le. 26.1-13. De. 10.12; 28.1-14. Jos. 24.14. Is. 3.10; 1.16-19. Ro. 2.7-10.
15

But fif ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall gthe hand of the LORD be against you, has it was against your fathers.

f Le. 26.15-39. De. 28.15-68. Is. 3.11; 1.20. Ro. 2.8,9. Ps. 81.11,12. Eze. 18.4,10-13.
g ch. 5.9.
h v.9.
16

¶Now therefore istand and see this jgreat thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

i Ex. 14.13.
j v.18.
17

Is it knot wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see lthat your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

k Pr. 26.1. Ps. 99.6. Je. 15.1. Ja. 5.16-18.
l ch. 8.7. Ho. 13.10,11.
18

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

m Ezr. 10.9,10. Ex. 9.23.
n Ex. 14.31; 4.31. Ps. 106.12,13.
19

And oall the people said unto Samuel, pPray for 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.

o Ps. 78.34,35. Ju. 10.10,15. Ex. 9.28.
p v.23. Ex. 10.17.
20

¶And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: qyet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

q Je. 3.12-14,22. De. 6.5; 10.12. Mat. 22.37.
21

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

r De. 32.21. Je. 2.5,13; 10.8,15. Jonah 2.8. Hab. 2.18. 1Co. 8.4. Is. 44.9-19; 45.20; 46.1,2,7.
22

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

s 1Ki. 8.57.
t Ex. 32.12. Nu. 14.13-19. Ps. 94.14; 106.8. Eze. 20.9. Jos. 7.9.
u Ex. 19.5,6. De. 7.6-8; 9.5; 14.2; 26.18. Mat. 11.26. Mal. 1.2. Ro. 5.21.
23

Moreover as for me, vGod forbid that I should sin against the LORD 8in ceasing to pray for you: but I will wteach you the good and the right way:

v 1Co. 9.16. Ro. 1.9. 1Th. 3.10. Mat. 5.44. 2Ti. 1.3.
w Col. 1.28. Ac. 20.20,27.
24

Only xfear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for yconsider 9how great things he hath done for you.

x Ec.12.10,13. Ps. 34.8-13. De. 6.13; 10.12.
y Ezr. 9.13,14. Ps. 105.1-45; 78. Is. 5.12.
25

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

z Is. 3.11. Le. 26.14-39. De. 28.15-68; 32.15-30; 4.26; 8.19,20; 30.17-19.