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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>1 Samuel 12 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/1_samuel/12.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/1_samuel/12-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ESV</a> > 1 Samuel 12</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_samuel/11.htm" title="1 Samuel 11">◄</a> 1 Samuel 12 <a href="../1_samuel/13.htm" title="1 Samuel 13">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">English Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/esv/nas/1_samuel/12.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div></a><div class="chap"><p class="heading">Samuel’s Farewell Address</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>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. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>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. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>Here I am; testify against me before the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> 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<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Septuagint; Hebrew lacks Testify against me">a</a></sup></span> and I will restore it to you.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>And he said to them, “The <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> 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.”</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>And Samuel said to the people, “The <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> is witness,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Septuagint; Hebrew lacks is witness">b</a></sup></span> who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> concerning all the righteous deeds of the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> that he performed for you and for your fathers. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and the Egyptians oppressed them">c</a></sup></span> then your fathers cried out to the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> and the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>But they forgot the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Septuagint the army of Jabin king of Hazor">d</a></sup></span> and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>And they cried out to the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>And the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> sent Jerubbaal and Barak<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew Bedan">e</a></sup></span> and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>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 <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> your God was your king. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> has set a king over you. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>If you will fear the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> your God, it will be well. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>But if you will not obey the voice of the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, but rebel against the commandment of the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, then the hand of the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> will be against you and your king.<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Septuagint; Hebrew fathers">f</a></sup></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> will do before your eyes. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, 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 <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, in asking for yourselves a king.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>So Samuel called upon the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, and the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> and Samuel.</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span>, but serve the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> with all your heart. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>For the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> to make you a people for himself. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Only fear the <span class="divine-name">Lord</span> and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/1_samuel/12-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">3</span> Septuagint; Hebrew lacks <i class="catch-word">Testify against me</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">6</span> Septuagint; Hebrew lacks <i class="catch-word">is witness</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">8</span> Septuagint; Hebrew lacks <i class="catch-word">and the Egyptians oppressed them</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">d</span> <span class="fnverse">9</span> Septuagint <i><span class="catch-word">the army of</span> Jabin king of Hazor</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">e</span> <span class="fnverse">11</span> Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew <i>Bedan</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">f</span> <span class="fnverse">15</span> Septuagint; Hebrew <i>fathers</i><br /></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. 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