2
"Now, here is the kingwalkingbefore you, but I amold and gray, and behold my sons are with you. And I have walkedbefore you from my youtheven to thisday.
3
"Here I am; bearwitness against me before the LORD and His anointed. Whoseox have I taken, or whosedonkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whosehand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you."
5
He said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witnessthisday that you have foundnothing* in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."
8
"WhenJacobwent into Egypt and your fatherscried out to the LORD, then the LORDsentMoses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in thisplace.
9
"But they forgot the LORD their God, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.
10
"They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinnedbecause we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but nowdeliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.'
11
"Then the LORDsentJerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemiesall*around, so that you lived in security.
12
"When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammoncameagainst you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reignover us,' although the LORD your God was your king.
14
"If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebelagainst the command of the LORD, then both you and also the kingwhoreignsover you will follow the LORD your God.
15
"If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebelagainst the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
17
"Is it not the wheatharvesttoday? I will call to the LORD, that He may sendthunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is greatwhich you have done in the sight of the LORD by asking for yourselves a king."
19
Then all the peoplesaid to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king."
20
Samuelsaid to the people, "Do not fear. You have committedallthisevil, yet do not turnaside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
23
"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and rightway.