1 Samuel 12

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW JERUSALEM
1 And Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and have made a king over you.	1 Samuel said to all Israel, 'I have faithful y done al that you asked of me, and have appointed you aking.
2 And now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and gray, and behold, my sons are with you; and I have walked before you from my youth until this day.	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.
3 Here I am; testify 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 from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you."	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.'
4 They said, "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand."	4 They said, 'You have neither wronged nor oppressed us nor accepted anything from anyone.'
5 And he said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."	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.'
6 And Samuel said to the people, "The LORD is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.	6 Samuel then said to the people, 'Yahweh is witness, he who raised up Moses and Aaron and whobrought your ancestors out of Egypt.
7 Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the saving deeds of the LORD which he performed for you and for your fathers.	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.
8 When Jacob went into Egypt and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried to the LORD and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.	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.
9 But they forgot the LORD their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Jabin king of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.	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.
10 And they cried 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 out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.'	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."
11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Barak, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety.	11 Yahweh then sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of theenemies surrounding you, and you lived in security.
12 And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us,' when the LORD your God was your king.	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.
13 And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the LORD has set a king over you.	13 So, here is the king whom you have chosen; Yahweh has appointed you a king.
14 If you will fear the LORD and serve him and hearken to his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well;	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 .
15 but if you will not hearken to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.	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.
16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.	16 'Stay where you are and see the wonder which Yahweh wil do before your eyes.
17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking for yourselves a king."	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.'
18 So Samuel called upon the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.	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.
19 And all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king."	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.'
20 And Samuel said to the people, "Fear not; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;	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.
21 and do not turn aside after vain things which cannot profit or save, for they are vain.	21 Do not transfer your al egiance to useless idols which, being useless, are futile and cannot saveanybody;
22 For the LORD will not cast away his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.	22 Yahweh, for the sake of his great name, wil not desert his people, for it has pleased Yahweh tomake you his people.
23 Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.	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.
24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.	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.'
25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king."