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Samuel’s Farewell Address
Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king.
Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king.
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.
And now here is the king, walking before you; and I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.
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.”
Here I am. Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”
“No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”
And they said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.”
“The LORD and his anointed one are my witnesses today,” Samuel declared, “that my hands are clean.”
“Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.
“Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.
Then 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 answered, “He is witness.”
And they answered, “He is witness.”
“It was the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt.
Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who raised up Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.
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.
Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you and your fathers:
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.
And when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.
“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.’
“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.
And when you saw that Nahash 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.
All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the LORD has granted your request.
“Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, the Lord has set a king over you.
“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.
If you fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God.
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.
However, if you do 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, as it was against your fathers.
“Now stand here and see the great thing the LORD is about to do.
“Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes:
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!”
Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking a king for yourselves.”
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.
So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
“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.”
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 the evil of asking a king for ourselves.”
“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.
Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you — they are totally useless!
And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.
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.
For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people.
“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.
Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.
But be sure to fear the LORD and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.
Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.