1 Samuel 12 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Then Samuel said to all of Israel, “I have paid attention to everything you asked from me, and I have given you a king to rule over you.
1 Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.
2 Now your king is your leader. I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from the time I was a boy up to today.
2 Now, behold, the king walks before you. I am old and gray-headed. Behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth to this day.
3 I stand here before you. Bring any charges you have against me in the presence of the Lord and of his anointed one. Have I taken anyone's ox or donkey? Have I wronged anyone? Have I oppressed anyone? Have I accepted a bribe from anyone to turn a blind eye? Tell me, and I will repay you.”
3 Here I am. Witness against me before Yahweh and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”
4 “No, you have never cheated or oppressed us,” they replied, “and you have never taken anything from anyone.”
4 They said, “You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything from anyone’s hand.”
5 Samuel told them, “The Lord is a witness, and his anointed is a witness today, in this case involving you, that you have not found me guilty of anything.” “He is a witness,” they replied.
5 He said to them, “Yahweh is witness against you, and his anointed is witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” They said, “He is witness.”
6 “The Lord is a witness, he who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel went on. “He led your forefathers out of the land of Egypt.
6 Samuel said to the people, “It is Yahweh who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7 So stand here as I present to you in the presence of the Lord the evidence of all the good things the Lord has done for you and your forefathers.
7 Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before Yahweh concerning all the righteous acts of Yahweh, which he did to you and to your fathers.
8 After Jacob had gone to Egypt, your fathers cried out to the Lord for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron to lead your forefathers out of Egypt and settle them here.
8 “When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.
9 But they forgot about the Lord their God, so he abandoned them to Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab, who attacked them.
9 But they forgot Yahweh their God; and 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 for help and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have rejected the Lord and worshiped the Baals and Ashtoreths. Please save us from the hands of our enemies, and we will worship you.’
10 They cried to Yahweh, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahweh and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’
11 Then the Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he saved you from your enemies who surrounded you so you could live in safety.
11 Yahweh sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.
12 But when you saw that Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was coming to attack you, you told me, ‘No, we want our own king,’ even though the Lord your God was your king.
12 “When you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when Yahweh your God was your king.
13 So here's the king you have chosen, the one you asked for. Look—the Lord now gives him to you as your king!
13 Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for. Behold, Yahweh has set a king over you.
14 If you honor the Lord, worship him, do what he tells you, and don't rebel against the Lord's instructions, and if both you and your king follow the Lord your God, then good!
14 If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, then both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of Yahweh your God.
15 However, if you refuse to do what he tells you, and rebel against the Lord's instructions, then the Lord will be against you as he was against your forefathers.
15 But if you will not listen to Yahweh’s voice, but rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, then Yahweh’s hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
16 Now stand still and watch what the Lord is going to do, right before your very eyes.
16 “Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Yahweh will do before your eyes.
17 Isn't it the time of wheat harvest? Well, I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize how very evil you were in the Lord's sight when you demanded your own king.”
17 Isn’t it wheat harvest today? I will call to Yahweh, that he may send thunder and rain; and you will know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in Yahweh’s sight, in asking for a king.”
18 Then Samuel prayed to the Lord, and that very day the Lord sent thunder and rain. Everyone was in absolute awe of the Lord and of Samuel.
18 So Samuel called to Yahweh, and Yahweh sent thunder and rain that day. Then all the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel.
19 “Please pray to the Lord your God for us your servants, so we will not die!” they begged Samuel. “For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for our own king.”
19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.”
20 “Don't be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have indeed done all these evil things, don't give up following the Lord, but dedicate yourselves completely to worshiping him.
20 Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet don’t turn away from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart.
21 Don't worship worthless idols that can't help you or save you, for they are nothing.
21 Don’t turn away to go after vain things which can’t profit or deliver, for they are vain.
22 The fact is because of the kind of person the Lord is, he won't give up on his people, because he was happy to claim you as his own.
22 For Yahweh will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased Yahweh to make you a people for himself.
23 As for me, how could I sin against the Lord by no longer praying for you? I will also continue to teach you the way of goodness and right.
23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh in ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.
24 Make sure you honor God and worship him faithfully, with complete dedication. Think of all the tremendous things he has done for you.
24 Only fear Yahweh, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.
25 But if you continue to do what is evil, you and your king will be wiped out.”
25 But if you keep doing evil, you will be consumed, both you and your king.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Nahash
King of the Ammonites who besieged Jabesh-gilead and demanded the right eye of every man there until Saul defeated him; his later kindness to David is recalled when David consoles…
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 11:1; 1 Samuel 11:2; 1 Samuel 12:12
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Samuel 10:24; 1 Samuel 11:14–15; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 8:19–22; 1 Samuel 8:5–8
- 2 1 Samuel 8:5; 1 Samuel 8:20; 1 Samuel 8:1; Numbers 27:17; 1 Samuel 8:3
- 3 Acts 20:33; Numbers 16:15; Deuteronomy 16:19; 1 Samuel 24:6; 1 Peter 5:2
- 4 3 John 12; Psalm 37:5–6; Daniel 6:4
- 5 Exodus 22:4; Acts 24:20; Acts 23:9; 2 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 4:4
- 6 Micah 6:4; Exodus 6:26; Psalm 99:6; Psalm 77:19–20; Psalm 105:41
- 7 Isaiah 1:18; Acts 17:3; Micah 6:1–5; Isaiah 5:3–4; Ezekiel 18:25–30
- 8 Exodus 4:14–16; Exodus 2:23–24; 1 Samuel 10:18; Genesis 46:5–7; Exodus 3:9–10
- 9 Judges 4:2; Judges 10:7; Judges 3:12; Judges 13:1; Deuteronomy 32:18
- 10 Judges 2:13; Judges 10:10; Judges 3:7; Judges 10:15–16; Judges 3:9
- 11 Judges 6:32; Judges 4:6; Judges 6:14; Judges 8:35; 1 Samuel 7:13
- 12 Judges 8:23; 1 Samuel 8:5–7; Genesis 17:7; 1 Samuel 10:19; 1 Samuel 11:1–2
- 13 Hosea 13:11; 1 Samuel 10:24; 1 Samuel 8:5; 1 Samuel 9:20; 1 Samuel 11:15
- 14 Joshua 24:14; Deuteronomy 28:1–14; Joshua 24:20; Psalm 81:12–15; Isaiah 3:10
- 15 Joshua 24:20; Isaiah 1:20; 1 Samuel 12:9; Isaiah 3:11; Leviticus 26:14–30
- 16 Exodus 14:13; Exodus 14:31; 1 Samuel 12:7; 1 Samuel 15:16
- 17 1 Samuel 8:7; 1 Samuel 7:9–10; Proverbs 26:1; James 5:16–18; Psalm 99:6
- 18 Exodus 14:31; Ezra 10:9; Exodus 9:23–25; Psalm 106:12–13; Revelation 11:5–6
- 19 Exodus 9:28; 1 John 5:16; 1 Samuel 12:23; Exodus 10:17; 1 Samuel 7:5
- 20 Deuteronomy 11:16; Joshua 23:6; Psalm 101:3; Psalm 125:5; 1 Peter 3:16
- 21 Habakkuk 2:18; Jeremiah 16:19; Jeremiah 10:15; Deuteronomy 11:16; Jeremiah 14:22
- 22 Deuteronomy 14:2; Psalm 106:8; Philippians 1:6; 1 Kings 6:13; Jeremiah 14:21
- 23 Colossians 1:9; Romans 1:9; 2 Timothy 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Kings 8:36
- 24 Deuteronomy 10:21; Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 5:12; Hebrews 12:29; Psalm 126:2–3
- 25 Joshua 24:20; Hosea 10:3; Deuteronomy 28:36; 1 Samuel 31:1–5; Isaiah 3:11
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
or if I have received from the hand of any a bribe or [so much as] a shoe, speak out against me, and I will restore it to you." And when the people had said to him, "Thou hast not tyrannized, neither hast thou oppressed us neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand," he called the Lord to …