1 Samuel 12

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Samuel said to all Israel, 'I have faithful y done al that you asked of me, and have appointed you aking.	1 Samuel addressed all Israel: "I have granted your request in every respect," he said. "I have set a king over you
2 In future, the king will lead you. As for me, I am old and grey, and in any case you have my sons. Ihave been your leader ever since I was young until today.	2 and now the king is your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and have sons among you. I have lived with you from my youth to the present day.
3 Here I am. Bear witness against me before Yahweh and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken?Whose donkey have I taken? Have I wronged or oppressed anyone? Have I taken a consideration from anyonefor looking the other way? If so, I wil make amends.'	3 Here I stand! Answer me in the presence of the LORD and of his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose ass have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whom have I accepted a bribe and overlooked his guilt? I will make restitution to you."
4 They said, 'You have neither wronged nor oppressed us nor accepted anything from anyone.'	4 They replied, "You have neither cheated us, nor oppressed us, nor accepted anything from anyone."
5 He said to them, 'Yahweh is your witness and his anointed is witness today that you have foundnothing in my hands?' They replied, 'He is witness.'	5 So he said to them, "The LORD is witness against you this day, and his anointed as well, that you have found nothing in my possession." "He is witness," they agreed.
6 Samuel then said to the people, 'Yahweh is witness, he who raised up Moses and Aaron and whobrought your ancestors out of Egypt.	6 Continuing, Samuel said to the people: "The LORD is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.
7 So now, stay where you are, while I plead with you before Yahweh and remind you of al the savingacts which he has done for you and for your ancestors.	7 Now, therefore, take your stand, and I shall arraign you before the LORD, and shall recount for you all the acts of mercy the LORD has done for you and your fathers.
8 After Jacob had arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians oppressed them, and your ancestors cried to Yahweh.Yahweh then sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and gave them a settled homehere.	8 When Jacob and his sons went to Egypt and the Egyptians oppressed them, your fathers appealed to the LORD, who sent Moses and Aaron to bring them out of Egypt, and he gave them this place to live in.
9 They then forgot Yahweh their God and he sold them into the power of Sisera, general of the army ofHazor, and also into the power of the Philistines and of the king of Moab, who made war on them.	9 But they forgot the LORD their God; and he allowed them to fall into the clutches of Sisera, the captain of the army of Jabin, king of Hazor, into the grasp of the Philistines, and into the grip of the king of Moab, who made war against them.
10 They cried to Yahweh, "We have sinned," they said, "for we have deserted Yahweh and served theBaals and the Astartes. Rescue us now from the power of our enemies, and we wil serve you."	10 Each time they appealed to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned in forsaking the LORD and worshiping Baals and Ashtaroth; but deliver us now from the power of our enemies, and we will worship you.'
11 Yahweh then sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of theenemies surrounding you, and you lived in security.	11 Accordingly, the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel; he delivered you from the power of your enemies on every side, so that you were able to live in security.
12 'But when you saw Nahash, king of the Ammonites, marching on you, you said to me, "No, we musthave a king to rule us"-although Yahweh your God is your king.	12 Yet, when you saw Nahash, king of the Ammonites, advancing against you, you said to me, 'Not so, but a king must rule us,' even though the LORD your God is your king.
13 So, here is the king whom you have chosen; Yahweh has appointed you a king.	13 "Now you have the king you want, a king the LORD has given you.
14 If you fear and serve Yahweh and obey his voice and do not rebel against his commands, and if bothyou and the king who rules you follow Yahweh your God, al wil be wel .	14 If you fear the LORD and worship him, if you are obedient to him and do not rebel against the LORD'S command, if both you and the king who rules you follow the LORD your God--well and good.
15 But if you do not obey Yahweh's voice but rebel against his commands, Yahweh's hand wil beagainst you and against your king.	15 But if you do not obey the LORD and if you rebel against his command, the LORD will deal severely with you and your king, and destroy you.
16 'Stay where you are and see the wonder which Yahweh wil do before your eyes.	16 Now then, stand ready to witness the great marvel the LORD is about to accomplish before your eyes.
17 Is it not now the wheat harvest? I shal call on Yahweh and he will send thunder and rain, so that youmay clearly understand what a very wicked thing you have done, in Yahweh's eyes, by asking for a king.'	17 Are we not in the harvest time for wheat? Yet I shall call to the LORD, and he will send thunder and rain. Thus you will see and understand how greatly the LORD is displeased that you have asked for a king."
18 Samuel then cal ed on Yahweh, and Yahweh sent thunder and rain the same day, and al the peopleheld Yahweh and Samuel in great awe.	18 Samuel then called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day. As a result, all the people dreaded the LORD and Samuel.
19 They al said to Samuel, 'Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, to save us from death; for to alour sins we have added this wrong of asking for a king.'	19 They said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for us, your servants, that we may not die for having added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king."
20 Samuel said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. Although you have done al these wicked things, do notwithdraw your allegiance from Yahweh. Instead, serve Yahweh with al your heart.	20 "Do not fear," Samuel answered them. "It is true you have committed all this evil; still, you must not turn from the LORD, but must worship him with your whole heart.
21 Do not transfer your al egiance to useless idols which, being useless, are futile and cannot saveanybody;	21 Do not turn to meaningless idols which can neither profit nor save; they are nothing.
22 Yahweh, for the sake of his great name, wil not desert his people, for it has pleased Yahweh tomake you his people.	22 For the sake of his own great name the LORD will not abandon his people, since the LORD himself chose to make you his people.
23 For my part, far be it from me to sin against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you or to instruct you inthe good and right way.	23 As for me, far be it from me to sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you and to teach you the good and right way.
24 Fear none but Yahweh, and serve him faithful y with al your heart, bearing in mind the wonder whichhe has just performed. But, if you persist in wickedness, you and your king will perish.'	24 But you must fear the LORD and worship him faithfully with your whole heart; keep in mind the great things he has done among you.
	25 If instead you continue to do evil, both you and your king shall perish."