| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New International Version |
| 1Then Samuel said to all Israel, "I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you. | 1Samuel said to all Israel, "I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. |
| 2Now you can see that the king is leading you. As for me, I'm old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until today. | 2Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. |
| 3Here I am. Bring charges against me before the LORD and His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged or mistreated? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you." | 3Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right." |
| 4"You haven't wronged us, you haven't mistreated us, and you haven't taken anything from anyone's hand," they responded. | 4"You have not cheated or oppressed us," they replied. "You have not taken anything from anyone's hand." |
| 5He said to them, "The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today that you haven't found anything in my hand." "He is a witness," they said. | 5Samuel said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." "He is witness," they said. |
| 6Then Samuel said to the people, "The LORD, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness. | 6Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of Egypt. |
| 7Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before the LORD about all the righteous acts He has done for you and your ancestors. | 7Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the LORD as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your ancestors. |
| 8"When Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD, and He sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. | 8"After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the LORD for help, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. |
| 9But they forgot the LORD their God, so He handed them over to Sisera commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. These enemies fought against them. | 9"But they forgot the LORD their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. |
| 10Then they cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned, for we abandoned the LORD and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve You.' | 10They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.' |
| 11So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely. | 11Then the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety. |
| 12But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, 'No, we must have a king rule over us--even though the LORD your God is your king. | 12"But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, 'No, we want a king to rule over us'--even though the LORD your God was your king. |
| 13"Now here is the king you've chosen, the one you requested. Look, this is the king the LORD has placed over you. | 13Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you. |
| 14If you fear the LORD, worship and obey Him, and if you don't rebel against the LORD's command, then both you and the king who rules over you will follow the LORD your God. | 14If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God--good! |
| 15However, if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, the LORD's hand will be against you and against your ancestors. | 15But if you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors. |
| 16"Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. | 16"Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes! |
| 17Isn't the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD and He will send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you committed in the LORD's sight by requesting a king for yourselves." | 17Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king." |
| 18Samuel called on the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. | 18Then Samuel called on the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel. |
| 19They pleaded with Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so we won't die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves." | 19The people all said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king." |
| 20Samuel replied, "Don't be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don't turn away from following the LORD. Instead, worship the LORD with all your heart. | 20"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. |
| 21Don't turn away to follow worthless things that can't profit or deliver you; they are worthless. | 21Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. |
| 22The LORD will not abandon His people, because of His great name and because He has determined to make you His own people. | 22For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. |
| 23"As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. | 23As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. |
| 24Above all, fear the LORD and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you. | 24But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. |
| 25However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away." | 25Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish." |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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