1 Samuel 12

Se, nu færdes Kongen for eders Ansigt; jeg er gammel og grå, og mine Sønner er nu iblandt eder; men jeg har færdedes for eders Ansigt fra min Ungdom indtil i Dag.

Så træd nu frem, at jeg kan gå i Rette med eder for HERRENs Åsyn og kundgøre eder alle de Gerninger, HERREN i sin Retfærdigher har øvet mod eder og eders Fædre.

Da Jakob og hans Sønner var kommet til Ægypten, og Ægypterne plagede dem, råbte eders Fædre til HERREN, og HERREN sendte Moses og Aron, som førte eders Fædre ud af Ægypten, og han lod dem bosætte sig her.

Men de glemte HERREN deres Gud; derfor prisgav han dem til Kong Jabin af Hazors Hærfører Sisera, til Filisterne og til Moabs Konge, så de angreb dem.

Da råbte de til HERREN og sagde: Vi har syndet, thi vi forlod HERREN og dyrkede Ba'alerne og Astarterne; men fri os nu af vore Fjenders Hånd, så vil vi dyrke dig!

Så sendte HERREN Jerubba'al, Barak, Jefta og Samuel; og han friede eder af eders Fjenders Hånd rundt om, så I kunde bo i Tryghed.

Men da I så Ammoniterkongen Nahasj rykke frem imod eder, sagde I til mig: Nej, en Konge skal herske over os uagtet HERREN eders Gud var eders Konge!

Og nu, her står Kongen, som I har valgt og krævet; se, HERREN har sat en Konge over eder!

Hvis I frygter HERREN og tjener ham, adlyder hans Røst og ikke er genstridige mod HERRENs Bud, men følger HERREN eders Gud, både I og Kongen, som har fået Herredømmet over eder, da skal det gå eder vel.

Adlyder I derimod ikke HERRENs Røst, men er genstridige mod HERRENs Bud, da skal HERRENs Hånd ramme eder og eders Konge og ødelægge eder.

Træd nu frem og se den vældige Gerning, HERREN vil øve for eders Øjne!

Derpå råbte Samuel til HERREN, og HERREN sendte samme Dag Torden og Regn. Da frygtede hele folket såre for HERREN og Samuel,

og vend eder ikke til dem, som er Tomhed og hverken kan hjælpe eller frelse, fordi de er Tomhed.

Thi for sit store Navns Skyld vil HERREN ikke forstøde sit Folk, da det jo har behaget HERREN at gøre eder til sit Folk.

Det være også langt fra mig at synde mod HERREN og høre op med at bede for eder; jeg vil også vise eder den gode og rette Vej;

men frygt HERREN og tjen ham oprigtigt af hele eders Hjerte; thi se, hvor store Ting han gjorde imod eder!

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 grayheaded; and, behold, my sons {are} with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

Behold, here I {am}: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: 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. {bribe: Heb. ransom} {to blind...: or, that I should hide mine eyes at him}

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

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

And Samuel said unto the people, {It is} the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. {advanced: or, made}

Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers. {righteous...: Heb. righteousnesses, or, benefits} {to: Heb. with}

When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried 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.

And when they forgat the LORD their God, 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 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.

And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God {was} your king.

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

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 continue following the LORD your God: {commandment: Heb. mouth} {continue...: Heb. be after}

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 your fathers.

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

{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} great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

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.

And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray 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.

And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD 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 the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

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

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

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