1 A nd Samuel saith unto all Israel, `Lo, I have hearkened to your voice, to all that ye said to me, and I cause to reign over you a king,

Then Samuel said to all Israel, “See, I have listened to all you have said to me. I have chosen a king to rule over you.

2 a nd now, lo, the king is walking habitually before you, and I have become aged and gray-headed, and my sons, lo, they with you, and I have walked habitually before you from my youth till this day.

Now see, the king walks in front of you. But I am old. My hair is growing white. See, my sons are with you. I have walked in front of you since I was young, until this day.

3 ` Lo, here I; testify against me, over-against Jehovah, 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.'

Here I am. Speak against me to the Lord and Saul His chosen one. Whose bull have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? To whom have I not been honest? For whom have I made it hard? From whose hand have I taken pay for closing my eyes to the truth? I will return it to you.”

4 A nd they say, `Thou hast not oppressed us, nor hast thou crushed us, nor hast thou taken from the hand of any one anything.'

They said, “You have always been honest with us. You have not made it hard for us, or taken anything from any man’s hand.”

5 A nd he saith unto them, `A witness Jehovah against you: and a witness His anointed this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand;' and they say, `A witness.'

Samuel said to them, “The Lord has heard you. And His chosen one has heard this day that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said, “The Lord has heard.”

6 A nd Samuel saith unto the people, `Jehovah -- He who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought up your fathers out of the land of Egypt!

Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is the One Who chose Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt.

7 a nd, now, station yourselves, and I judge you before Jehovah, with all the righteous acts of Jehovah, which He did with you, and with your fathers.

Now stand where you are, that I may argue with you before the Lord about all His saving acts which He did for you and your fathers.

8 ` When Jacob hath come in to Egypt, and your fathers cry unto Jehovah, then Jehovah sendeth Moses and Aaron, and they bring out your fathers from Egypt, and cause them to dwell in this place,

When Jacob went into Egypt and the Egyptians made it hard for them, your fathers cried to the Lord. And the Lord sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your fathers out of Egypt, and had them live in this place.

9 a nd they forget Jehovah their God, and He selleth 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,

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 a nd they cry unto Jehovah, and say, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah, and serve the Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and now, deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we serve Thee.

Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned because we have turned away from the Lord. We have worshiped the false gods, the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now save us from the power of those who hate us, and we will worship You.’

11 ` And Jehovah sendeth Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivereth you out of the hand of your enemies round about, and ye dwell confidently.

The Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah and Samuel, and saved you from the power of those all around who hated you. So you were safe.

12 ` And ye see that Nahash king of the Bene-Ammon hath come against you, and ye say to me, Nay, but a king doth reign over us; and Jehovah your God your king!

But then you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you. So you said to me, ‘No! A king must rule over us,’ when the Lord your God was your King.

13 A nd, now, lo, the king whom ye have chosen -- whom ye have asked! and lo, Jehovah hath placed over you a king.

Now see the king you have chosen, the king you have asked for. See, the Lord has given you a king.

14 ` If ye fear Jehovah, and have served Him, and hearkened to His voice, then ye do not provoke the mouth of Jehovah, and ye have been -- both ye and the king who hath reigned over you -- after Jehovah your God.

Fear the Lord and worship Him. Listen to His voice and do not go against the Word of the Lord. If both you and the king who rules over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well.

15 ` And if ye do not hearken to the voice of Jehovah -- then ye have provoked the mouth of Jehovah, and the hand of Jehovah hath been against you, and against your fathers.

But if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, and go against the Lord’s Word, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16 ` Also now, station yourselves and see this great thing which Jehovah is doing before your eyes;

Now stand still and see this great thing which the Lord will do in front of your eyes.

17 i s it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Jehovah, and He doth give voices and rain; and know ye and see that your evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for you a king.'

Is it not the time to gather grain today? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that you have done a bad sin in the eyes of the Lord by asking for a king.”

18 A nd Samuel calleth unto Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth voices and rain, on that day, and all the people greatly fear Jehovah and Samuel;

So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were very much afraid of the Lord and Samuel.

19 a nd all the people say unto Samuel, `Pray for thy servants unto Jehovah thy God, and we do not die, for we have added to all our sins evil to ask for us a king.'

Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so we will not die. For we have added to all our sins this bad thing, to ask for a king.”

20 A nd Samuel saith unto the people, `Fear not; ye have done all this evil; only, turn not aside from after Jehovah -- and ye have served Jehovah with all your heart,

Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid. You have done all these sins. But do not turn aside from following the Lord. Worship the Lord with all your heart.

21 a nd ye do not turn aside after the vain things which do not profit nor deliver, for they vain,

Do not turn aside after things that have no worth and cannot save you, for they are nothing.

22 f or Jehovah doth not leave His people, on account of His great name; for Jehovah hath been pleased to make you to Him for a people.

The Lord will not leave His people alone, because of His great name. The Lord has been pleased to make you His people.

23 ` I, also, far be it from me to sin against Jehovah, by ceasing to pray for you, and I have directed you in the good and upright way;

And as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by not praying for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way.

24 o nly, fear ye Jehovah, and ye have served Him in truth with all your heart, for see that which He hath made great with you;

Only fear the Lord and be faithful to worship Him with all your heart. Think of the great things He has done for you.

25 a nd if ye really do evil, both ye and your king are consumed.'

But if you still sin, both you and your king will be destroyed.”