Parallel Bible results for "1 samuel 12"

1 Samuel 12

New Revised Standard NRS

1 Samuel said to all Israel, "I have listened to you in all that you have said to me, and have set a king over you.

2 See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day.

3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you."

4 They said, "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from the hand of anyone."

5 He said to them, "The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." And they said, "He is witness."

6 Samuel said to the people, "The Lord is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of the land of Egypt.

7 Now therefore take your stand, so that I may enter into judgment with you before the Lord, and I will declare to you all the saving deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your ancestors.

8 When Jacob went into Egypt and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your ancestors cried to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your ancestors out of Egypt, and settled them in this place.

9 But they forgot the Lord their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of King Jabin of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.

10 Then they cried to the Lord, and said, "We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served the Baals and the Astartes; but now rescue us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.'

11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak, and Jephthah, and Samson, and rescued you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.

12 But when you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, "No, but a king shall reign over us,' though the Lord your God was your king.

13 See, here is the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; see, the Lord has set a king over you.

14 If you will fear the Lord and serve him and heed his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well;

15 but if you will not heed the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.

16 Now therefore take your stand and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes.

17 Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that the wickedness that you have done in the sight of the Lord is great in demanding a king for yourselves."

18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 All the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of demanding a king for ourselves."

20 And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;

21 and do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless.

22 For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.

23 Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

24 Only fear the Lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.

25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king."

The Message Bible MSG

1 Samuel addressed all Israel: "I've listened to everything you've said to me, listened carefully to every word, and I've given you a king.

2 See for yourself: Your king among you, leading you! But now look at me: I'm old and gray, and my sons are still here. I've led you faithfully from my youth until this very day.

3 Look at me! Do you have any complaints to bring before God and his anointed? Have I ever stolen so much as an ox or a donkey? Have I ever taken advantage of you or exploited you? Have I ever taken a bribe or played fast and loose with the law? Bring your complaint and I'll make it right."

4 "Oh no," they said, "never. You've never done any of that - never abused us, never lined your own pockets."

5 "That settles it then," said Samuel. "God is witness, and his anointed is witness that you find nothing against me - no faults, no complaints."

6 And the people said, "He is witness."

7 Take your stand before him now as I review your case before God in the light of all the righteous ways in which God has worked with you and your ancestors.

8 When Jacob's sons entered Egypt, the Egyptians made life hard for them and they cried for help to God. God sent Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them here in this place.

9 "They soon forgot their God, so he sold them off to Sisera, commander of Hazor's army, later to a hard life under the Philistines, and still later to the king of Moab. They had to fight for their lives.

10 "Then they cried for help to God. They confessed, 'We've sinned! We've gone off and left God and worshiped the fertility gods and goddesses of Canaan. Oh, deliver us from the brutalities of our enemies and we'll worship you alone.'

11 "So God sent Jerub-Baal (Gideon), Bedan (Barak), Jephthah, and Samuel. He saved you from that hard life surrounded by enemies, and you lived in peace.

12 "But when you saw Nahash, king of the Ammonites, preparing to attack you, you said to me, 'No more of this. We want a king to lead us.' And God was already your king!

13 "So here's the king you wanted, the king you asked for. God has let you have your own way, given you a king.

14 If you fear God, worship and obey him, and don't rebel against what he tells you. If both you and your king follow God, no problem. God will be sure to save you.

15 But if you don't obey him and rebel against what he tells you, king or no king, you will fare no better than your fathers.

16 "Pay attention! Watch this wonder that God is going to perform before you now!

17 It's summer, as you well know, and the rainy season is over. But I'm going to pray to God. He'll send thunder and rain, a sign to convince you of the great wrong you have done to God by asking for a king."

18 Samuel prayed to God, and God sent thunder and rain that same day. The people were greatly afraid and in awe of God and of Samuel.

19 Then all the people begged Samuel, "Pray to your God for us, your servants. Pray that we won't die! On top of all our other sins, we've piled on one more - asking for a king!"

20 Samuel said to them, "Don't be fearful. It's true that you have done something very wrong. All the same, don't turn your back on God. Worship and serve him heart and soul!

21 Don't chase after ghost-gods.

22 There's nothing to them. They can't help you. They're nothing but ghost-gods! God, simply because of who he is, is not going to walk off and leave his people. God took delight in making you into his very own people.

23 "And neither will I walk off and leave you. That would be a sin against God! I'm staying right here at my post praying for you and teaching you the good and right way to live.

24 But I beg of you, fear God and worship him honestly and heartily. You've seen how greatly he has worked among you!

25 Be warned: If you live badly, both you and your king will be thrown out."