| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I have heeded your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. | 1Samuel said to all Israel, "I have done everything you requested. I have given you a king. |
| 2And 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. | 2Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, though my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day. |
| 3Here 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.” | 3Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the LORD and before his chosen king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me, and I will return it to you!" |
| 4And they said, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.” | 4They replied, "You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone." |
| 5Then 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.” | 5He said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and his chosen king is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me." They said, "He is witness!" |
| 6Then 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. | 6Samuel said to the people, "The LORD is the one who chose Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt. |
| 7Now 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: | 7Now take your positions, so I may confront you before the LORD regarding all the LORD's just actions toward you and your ancestors. |
| 8When Jacob had gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. | 8When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD. The LORD sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. |
| 9And 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. | 9"But they forgot the LORD their God, so he gave them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor's army, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. |
| 10Then they cried out to the LORD, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ | 10Then they cried out to the LORD and admitted, 'We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.' |
| 11And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety. | 11So the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hand of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely. |
| 12And 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. | 12"When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, 'No! A king will rule over us'--even though the LORD your God is your king! |
| 13“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. | 13Now look! Here is the king you have chosen--the one that you asked for! Look, the LORD has given you a king! |
| 14If 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. | 14If you fear the LORD, serving him and obeying him and not rebelling against what he says, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, all will be well. |
| 15However, 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. | 15But if you don't obey the LORD and rebel against what the LORD says, the hand of the LORD will be against both you and your king. |
| 16“Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes: | 16"So now, take your positions and watch this great thing that the LORD is about to do in your sight. |
| 17Is 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.” | 17Is this not the time of the wheat harvest? I will call on the LORD so that he makes it thunder and rain. Realize and see what a great sin you have committed before the LORD by asking for a king for yourselves." |
| 18So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. | 18So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the LORD and Samuel. |
| 19And 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.” | 19All the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God on behalf of us--your servants--so we won't die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king." |
| 20Then 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. | 20Then Samuel said to the people, "Don't be afraid. You have indeed sinned. However, don't turn aside from the LORD. Serve the LORD with all your heart. |
| 21And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. | 21You should not turn aside after empty things that can't profit and can't deliver, since they are empty. |
| 22For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. | 22The LORD will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. The LORD was pleased to make you his own people. |
| 23Moreover, 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. | 23As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright. |
| 24Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. | 24However, fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you! |
| 25But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” | 25But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away." |
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