1 Samuel 12:12-22

12 And ye saw, that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon, came against you; and ye said to me, counselling you to ask none other king than God, Nay, but a king shall command to us; when your Lord God reigned in you. (And then ye saw, that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, came against you; and ye said to me, when I counselled you to ask for no other king than God, Nay, but a king shall command us; when the Lord your God then reigned over you.)

13 Now therefore your king is ready, whom ye have chosen and asked (for); lo! the Lord hath given to you a king (lo! the Lord hath given you a king).

14 If ye dread the Lord, and serve him, and hear his voice, and wrath not the mouth of the Lord; ye and your king, that commandeth to you, shall follow your Lord God. (If ye fear the Lord/If ye revere the Lord, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and do not rebel against the Lord's commands, then ye and your king, who commandeth you, shall follow the Lord your God.)

15 Forsooth if ye hear not the voice of the Lord, but wrath his word, the hand of the Lord shall be on you, and on your fathers. (But if ye do not listen to the Lord's voice, and rebel against his commands, the hand of the Lord shall be against you, and against your fathers.)

16 But also now stand ye, and see this great thing, that the Lord shall do in your sight.

17 Whether (the) harvest of wheat is not today? I shall inwardly call (upon) the Lord, and he shall give voices, that is, thunders, and rains; and ye shall know, and see, for ye asking a king upon you, ye have done grievous evil to yourself in the sight of the Lord (and ye shall know, and see, that in asking for a king to rule over you, ye have done grievous evil to yourselves before the Lord).

18 And Samuel cried to the Lord, and the Lord gave thunders and rains in that day. And all the people dreaded greatly the Lord and Samuel; (And Samuel cried to the Lord, and the Lord gave thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel;)

19 and all the people said to Samuel, Pray thou for thy servants to thy Lord God, that we die not; for we [have] added evil to all our sins, that we ask a king to us. (and all the people said to Samuel, Pray thou for thy servants to the Lord thy God, so that we shall not die; for we have added this evil to all our sins, that we asked for a king over us.)

20 And Samuel said to the people, Dread ye not; ye have done all this evil; nevertheless go ye not away from (following) the back of the Lord, but serve ye the Lord in all your heart (but serve ye the Lord with all your heart);

21 and do not ye bow after vain things, that shall not profit you, neither they shall deliver you; for those be vain things. (and do not ye worship false gods, that shall not profit you, nor can they save you; for they be false gods.)

22 And then the Lord shall not forsake his people for his great name; for the Lord hath sworn to make you a people to himself. (And then the Lord shall not forsake his people for the sake of his great name; for the Lord hath sworn to make you his own people.)

1 Samuel 12:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 12

In this chapter Samuel, resigning the government to Saul, asserts the integrity with which he had performed his office, and calls upon the people of Israel to attest it, who did, 1Sa 12:1-5, he then reminds them of the great and good things the Lord had done for them in times past, 1Sa 12:6-11 and whereas they had desired a king, and one was given them, it was their interest to fear and serve the Lord; if not, his hand would be against them, 1Sa 12:10-15 he terrifies them by calling for thunder in an unusual time, 1Sa 12:16-19 and then comforts and encourages them, that in doing their duty God would be with them, and not forsake them, otherwise they might expect nothing but ruin and destruction, 1Sa 12:20-25.