CLV(i)
1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, `Lo, I have hearkened to your voice, to all that you said to me, and I cause to reign over you a king,
2 and now, lo, the king is walking habitually before you, and I have become aged and gray-headed, and my sons, lo, they [are] with you, and I have walked habitually before you from my youth till this day.
3 `Lo, here [am] I; testify against me, over-against Yahweh, and over-against His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose ass have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide mine eyes with it? --and I restore to you..
4 And they say, `You have not oppressed us, nor have you crushed us, nor have you taken from the hand of any one anything..
5 And he said unto them, `A witness [is] Yahweh against you:and a witness [is] His anointed this day, that you have not found anything in my hand;' and they say, `A witness..
6 And Samuel said unto the people, `Yahweh--He who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought up your fathers out of the land of Egypt!"
7 and, now, station yourselves, and I judge you before Yahweh, with all the righteous acts of Yahweh, which He did with you, and with your fathers.
8 `When Jacob has come in to Egypt, and your fathers cry unto Yahweh, then Yahweh sends Moses and Aaron, and they bring out your fathers from Egypt, and cause them to dwell in this place,
9 and they forget Yahweh their Elohim, and He sells them into the hand of Sisera, head of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fight against them,
10 and they cry unto Yahweh, and say, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahweh, and serve the Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and now, deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we serve You.
11 `And Yahweh sends Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivers you out of the hand of your enemies round about, and you dwell confidently.
12 `And you see that Nahash king of the Bene-Ammon has come against you, and you say to me, Nay, but a king does reign over us; and Yahweh your Elohim [is] your king!"
13 And, now, lo, the king whom you have chosen--whom you have asked! and lo, Yahweh has placed over you a king.
14 `If you fear Yahweh, and have served Him, and hearkened to His voice, then you do not provoke the mouth of Yahweh, and you have been--both you and the king who has reigned over you--after Yahweh your Elohim.
15 `And if you do not hearken to the voice of Yahweh--then you have provoked the mouth of Yahweh, and the hand of Yahweh has been against you, and against your fathers.
16 `Also now, station yourselves and see this great thing which Yahweh is doing before your eyes;"
17 is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Yahweh, and He does give voices and rain; and know you and see that your evil is great which you have done in the eyes of Yahweh, to ask for you a king..
18 And Samuel calls unto Yahweh, and Yahweh gives voices and rain, on that day, and all the people greatly fear Yahweh and Samuel;"
19 and all the people say unto Samuel, `Pray for your servants unto Yahweh your Elohim, and we do not die, for we have added to all our sins evil to ask for us a king..
20 And Samuel said unto the people, `Fear not; you have done all this evil; only, turn not aside from after Yahweh--and you have served Yahweh with all your heart,
21 and you do not turn aside after the vain things which do not profit nor deliver, for they [are] vain,
22 for Yahweh does not leave His people, on account of His great name; for Yahweh has been pleased to make you to Him for a people.
23 `I, also, far be it from me to sin against Yahweh, by ceasing to pray for you, and I have directed you in the good and upright way;"
24 only, fear you Yahweh, and you have served Him in truth with all your heart, for see that which He has made great with you;"
25 and if you really do evil, both you and your king are consumed..