1Samuel:12

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* And Samuel said unto all Israel : 'Behold , I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me , and have made a king over you . * And now , behold , the king walketh before you ; and I am old and grayheaded ; and , behold , my sons are with you ; and I have walked before you from my youth unto this day . * Here I am ; witness 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 ? or whom have I oppressed ? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith ? and I will restore it you .' * And they said : 'Thou hast not defrauded us , nor oppressed us , neither hast thou taken aught of any man 's hand .' * And he said unto them : 'The LORD is witness against you , and His anointed is witness this day , that ye have not found aught in my hand .' And they said : 'He is witness .' * And Samuel said unto the people : 'It is the LORD that made Moses and Aaron , and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt . * Now therefore stand still , that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD , which He did to you and to your fathers . * When Jacob was come into Egypt , then your fathers cried unto the LORD , and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron , who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt , and they were made to dwell in this place . * But they forgot the LORD their God , and He gave them over into the hand of Sisera , captain of the host of Hazor , and into the hand of the Philistines , and into the hand of the king of Moab , and they fought against them . * And they cried unto the LORD , and said : We have sinned , because we have forsaken the LORD , and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth ; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies , and we will serve Thee . * And the LORD sent Jerubbaal , and Bedan , and Jephthah , and Samuel , and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side , and ye dwelt in safety . * And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you , ye said unto me : Nay , but a king shall reign over us ; when the LORD your God was your king . * Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen , and whom ye have asked for ; and , behold , the LORD hath set a king over you . * If ye will fear the LORD , and serve Him , and hearken unto His voice , and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD , and both ye and also the king that reigneth over you be followers of the LORD your God --; * but if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the LORD , but rebel against the commandment of the LORD , then shall the hand of the LORD be against you , and against your fathers . * Now therefore stand still and see this great thing , which the LORD will do before your eyes . * Is it not wheat harvest to-day ? I will call unto the LORD , that He may send thunder and rain ; and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great , which ye have done in the sight of the LORD , in asking you a king .' * So Samuel called unto the LORD ; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day ; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel . * And all the people said unto Samuel : 'Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God , that we die not ; for we have added unto all our sins this evil , to ask us a king .' * And Samuel said unto the people : 'Fear not ; ye have indeed done all this evil ; yet turn not aside from following the LORD , but serve the LORD with all your heart ; * and turn ye not aside ; for then should ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver , for they are vain . * For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great name 's sake ; because it hath pleased the LORD to make you a people unto Himself . * Moreover as for me , far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you ; but I will instruct you in the good and the right way . * Only fear the LORD , and serve Him in truth with all your heart ; for consider how great things He hath done for you . * But if ye shall still do wickedly , ye shall be swept away , both ye and your king .'

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