1Samuel 12

Samuel resigna o seu cargo

1 Disse Samuel a todo o Israel: *1Sm 8.7,9,22Escutei a vossa voz em tudo o que me dissestes e *1Sm 10.24;11.14-15constitui um rei sobre vós. 2 Agora, eis que *1Sm 8.20o rei vai adiante de vós. *1Sm 8.1,5Eu sou velho e cheio de cãs, *1Sm 8.3,5e meus filhos estão convosco; *1Sm 3.10,19-20eu tenho andado adiante de vós desde a minha mocidade até hoje. 3 Eis-me aqui! Testemunhai contra mim perante Jeová e *1Sm 10.1;24.6;2Sm 1.14perante o seu ungido: de quem tomei o boi? Ou *Êx 20.17;Nm 16.15;At 20.33de quem tomei o jumento? Ou a quem defraudei? Ou a quem maltratei? Ou *Êx 23.8;Dt 16.19da mão de quem recebi uma peita para encobrir com ela os meus olhos? E vô-lo restituirei. 4 Responderam eles: Não nos defraudaste, nem nos maltrataste, nem tomaste coisa alguma da mão de ninguém. 5 Ele lhes disse: Jeová é testemunha contra vós, e o seu ungido é hoje testemunha de que *At 23.9;21.20não achastes coisa alguma *Êx 22.4na minha mão. Eles responderam: Ele é testemunha.

6 Samuel disse ao povo: Jeová é quem *Êx 6.26designou a Moisés e a Arão e fez subir a vossos pais da terra do Egito. 7 Agora, ponde-vos aqui, *Ez 20.35;Mq 6.1-5para que eu pleiteie convosco perante Jeová, relativamente a todos os atos de justiça que ele vos fez a vós e a vossos pais. 8 Quando Jacó entrou no Egito, e *Êx 2.23-25vossos pais clamaram a Jeová, *Êx 3.10;4.14-16enviou ele a Moisés e a Arão, *1Sm 10.18para que tirassem a vossos pais do Egito, e fê-los habitar neste lugar. 9 Mas *Dt 32.18;Jz 3.7esqueceram-se de Jeová, seu Deus, e *Jz 4.2ele os entregou nas mãos de Sísera, capitão do exército de Hazor, *Jz 3.31;10.7;13.1nas mãos dos filisteus e *Jz 3.12-30nas mãos de Moabe, os quais pelejaram contra eles. 10 *Jz 10.10Clamaram a Jeová e disseram: Pecamos, porque deixamos a Jeová e servimos aos *Jz 2.13;3.7Baalins e aos Astarotes; mas, *Jz 10.15-16agora, livra-nos das mãos dos nossos inimigos, e te serviremos. 11 Jeová enviou a *Jz 6.31-32Jerubaal, e a *Jz 4.6;11.1Bedã, e a Jefté, e a Samuel e livrou-vos da mão dos vossos inimigos ao redor, e habitastes em segurança. 12 Quando vistes *1Sm 11.1-2que Naás, rei dos filhos de Amom, vinha contra vós, dissestes-me: *1Sm 8.6,19Não; mas um rei dominará sobre nós, *1Sm 8.7;Jz 8.23quando Jeová, vosso Deus, era vosso rei. 13 Agora, eis o *1Sm 10.24rei que escolhestes e *1Sm 12.17,19;8.5;Os 13.11pedistes; e eis que Jeová pôs sobre vós um rei. 14 *Js 24.14Se temerdes a Jeová, e o servirdes, e derdes ouvidos à sua voz, e não fordes rebeldes às suas ordens, e tanto vós como o rei que vos domina fordes seguidores de Jeová, vosso Deus, bem está; 15 mas, *Js 24.20;Is 1.20se não derdes ouvidos a voz de Jeová, e fordes rebeldes às suas ordens, *1Sm 5.9será a mão de Jeová contra vós *1Sm 12.9como o era contra vossos pais. 16 Agora, *Êx 14.13,31ficai aqui e vede esta grande coisa que Jeová vai fazer diante dos vossos olhos. 17 *Pv 26.1Não é, hoje, a sega do trigo? *1Sm 7.9-10Invocarei a Jeová, e ele enviará trovões e chuva. Sabereis e vereis que *1Sm 8.7é grande a vossa maldade que fizestes perante Jeová, pedindo um rei sobre vós. 18 Invocou Samuel a Jeová, que enviou, naquele dia, trovões e chuva. *Êx 14.31Todo o povo temeu muito a Jeová e a Samuel.

19 Todo o povo disse a Samuel: *1Sm 12.23;Êx 9.28;Jr 15.1Roga a Jeová, teu Deus, pelos teus servos, para que não morramos, porque a todos os nossos pecados ajuntamos *1Sm 12.17,20o mal de pedirmos um rei. 20 Então, disse Samuel ao povo: Não temais; vos fizestes todo este mal; *Dt 11.16não vos desvieis de seguir a Jeová, mas servi-o de todo o vosso coração. 21 Não vos desvieis, pois seguiríeis *Is 41.29;Hc 2.18coisas vãs, que não vos podem aproveitar, nem livrar, porque são vãs. 22 *Dt 31.6;1Rs 6.13Jeová, por *Êx 32.12;Nm 14.13causa do seu grande nome, não desamparará ao seu povo, porque *Dt 7.6-11;1Pe 2.9aprouve a Jeová fazer de vós o seu povo. 23 Quanto a mim, *Rm 1.9;Cl 1.9;1Ts 3.10;2Tm 1.3longe de mim o pecar eu contra Jeová, deixando de orar por vós. Eu *1Rs 8.36;Pv 4.11vos instruirei no caminho bom e direito. 24 *Ec 12.13Tão somente temei a Jeová e servi-o fielmente de todo o vosso coração, pois vede *Dt 10.21quão grande coisa acaba de fazer na vossa presença. 25 *Is 1.20;3.11Se, porém, perseverardes em fazer o mal, *Js 24.20perecereis *1Sm 31.1-5;Os 10.3tanto vós como o vosso rei.

1 Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 Now, behold, the king walks before you. I am old and gray-headed. Behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth to this day. 3 Here I am. Witness against me before Yahweh and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you."

4 They said, "You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything from anyone’s hand."

5 He said to them, "Yahweh is witness against you, and his anointed is witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand."

They said, "He is witness." 6 Samuel said to the people, "It is Yahweh who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before Yahweh concerning all the righteous acts of Yahweh, which he did to you and to your fathers.

8 "When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place. 9 But they forgot Yahweh their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. 10 They cried to Yahweh, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahweh and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ 11 Yahweh sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.

12 "When you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when Yahweh your God was your king. 13 Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for. Behold, Yahweh has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, then both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of Yahweh your God. 15 But if you will not listen to Yahweh’s voice, but rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, then Yahweh’s hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16 "Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Yahweh will do before your eyes. 17 Isn’t it wheat harvest today? I will call to Yahweh, that he may send thunder and rain; and you will know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in Yahweh’s sight, in asking for a king."

18 So Samuel called to Yahweh, and Yahweh sent thunder and rain that day. Then all the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel.

19 All the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king."

20 Samuel said to the people, "Don’t be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet don’t turn away from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart. 21 Don’t turn away to go after vain things which can’t profit or deliver, for they are vain. 22 For Yahweh will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased Yahweh to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh in ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 Only fear Yahweh, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you keep doing evil, you will be consumed, both you and your king."