121 Then Samuel said to all Israel , "Behold , I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me and I have appointed a king over you. 2 "Now , here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray , and behold my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth even to this day . 3 "Here I am; bear witness against me before the Lord and His anointed . Whose ox have I taken , or whose donkey have I taken , or whom have I defrauded ? Whom have I oppressed , or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you." 4 They said , "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand ." 5 He said to them, "The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have found nothing e in my hand ." And they said , "He is witness ."
6 Then Samuel said to the people , "It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt . 7 "So now , take your stand , that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did for you and your fathers . 8 " When Jacob went into Egypt and your fathers cried out to the Lord , then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place . 9 "But they forgot the Lord their God , so 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 out to the Lord and said , 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth ; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies , and we will serve You.' 11 "Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel , and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all e around , so that you lived in security . 12 "When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ' No , but a king shall reign over us,' although the Lord your God was your king . 13 "Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen , whom you have asked for, and behold , the Lord has set a king over you. 14 " If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord , then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God . 15 " If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord , but rebel against the command of the Lord , then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers .
16 "Even now , take your stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes . 17 " Is it not the wheat harvest today ? I will call to the Lord , that He may send thunder and rain . Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord by asking for yourselves a king ." 18 So Samuel called to the Lord , and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day ; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel . 19 Then all the people said to Samuel , " Pray for your servants to the Lord your God , so that we may not die , for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king ." 20 Samuel said to the people , "Do not fear . You have committed all this evil , yet do not turn aside from following the Lord , but serve the Lord with all your heart . 21 "You must not turn aside , for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver , because they are futile . 22 "For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name , because the Lord has been pleased e to make you a people for Himself. 23 "Moreover , as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way . 24 " Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart ; for consider what great things He has done for you. 25 " But if you still do wickedly , both you and your king will be swept away ."
