1 Samuel 12 - The Scriptures 1998

¹ And Shemu’ĕ

² “And now, look, the sovereign is walking before you. And I am old and grey, and look, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth to this day.

³ “Look, here I am. Witness against me before יהוה  and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I oppressed? Whom have I abused, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? – then I restore it to you.”

⁴ And they said, “You have not oppressed us or abused us, nor have you taken any bribe from anyone’s hand.”

⁵ So he said to them, “יהוה  is witness against you, and His anointed is witness today, that you have found naught in my hand.” And they answered, “He is witness.”

⁶ And Shemu’ĕ

⁷ “And now, stand still, so that I judge you before יהוה  concerning all the righteous acts of יהוה  which He did to you and your fathers:

⁸ “When Yaʽ

⁹ “But they forgot יהוה  their Elohim, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Ḥ

¹⁰ “And they cried out to יהוה, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken יהוה  and served the Baʽ

¹¹ “And יהוה  sent Yerubbaʽ

¹² “And when you saw that Naḥ

¹³ “And now, here is the sovereign whom you have chosen and whom you have asked. And see, יהוה  has set a sovereign over you.

¹⁴ “If you fear יהוה, and shall serve Him and obey His voice, and not rebel against the command of יהוה, then both you and the sovereign who reigns over you shall follow יהוה  your Elohim.

¹⁵ “But if you do not obey the voice of יהוה, and shall rebel against the command of יהוה, then the hand of יהוה  shall be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶ “And now, stand and see this great matter which יהוה  does before your eyes:

¹⁷ “Is today not the wheat harvest? Let me call to יהוה, so that He sends thunder and rain – know then and see that your evil is great, which you have done in the eyes of יהוה, in asking for yourselves a sovereign.”

¹⁸ And Shemu’ĕ

¹⁹ And all the people said to Shemu’ĕ

²⁰ And Shemu’ĕ

²¹ and do not turn aside after worthless matters which do not profit or deliver, for they are worthless.

²² “For יהוה  would not cast away His people, for His great Name’s sake, seeing it has pleased יהוה  to make you His people.

²³ “Also, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against יהוה  in ceasing to pray for you, but I shall teach you the good and straight way.

²⁴ “Only fear יהוה, and you shall serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what marvels He has done for you.

²⁵ “But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your sovereign are consumed.”