English Standard Version

New Living Translation

Samuel’s Farewell Address

And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you.

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Samuel’s Farewell Address

Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king.

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And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.

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Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you — an old, gray-haired man — and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day.

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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 mea and I will restore it to you.”

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Now testify against me in the presence of the LORD and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”

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They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.”

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“No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”

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And 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.”

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“The LORD and his anointed one are my witnesses today,” Samuel declared, “that my hands are clean.”
“Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.

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And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness,b who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

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“It was the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt.

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Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous deeds of the Lord that he performed for you and for your fathers.

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Now stand here quietly before the LORD as I remind you of all the great things the LORD has done for you and your ancestors.

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When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them,c then your fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.

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“When the Israelites werea in Egypt and cried out to the LORD, he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land.

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

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But the people soon forgot about the LORD their God, so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.

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And they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’

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“Then they cried to the LORD again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from the LORD and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.’

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And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barake and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety.

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Then the LORD sent Gideon,b Bedan,c Jephthah, and Samueld to save you, and you lived in safety.

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And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king.

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“But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the LORD your God was already your king.

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And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you.

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All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the LORD has granted your request.

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If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey 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.

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“Now if you fear and worship the LORD and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the LORD’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the LORD as your God.

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But if you will not obey 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.f

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But if you rebel against the LORD’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.

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

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“Now stand here and see the great thing the LORD is about to do.

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

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You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the LORD to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the LORD for a king!”

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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.

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So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the LORD and of Samuel.

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And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.”

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“Pray to the LORD your God for us, or we will die!” they all said to Samuel. “For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king.”

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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.

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“Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the LORD with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him.

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And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.

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Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you — they are totally useless!

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For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.

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The LORD will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the LORD to make you his very own people.

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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.

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“As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.

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

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But be sure to fear the LORD and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.

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

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But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”

Parallel

English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1 Samuel 12

1 Samuel 12