1 AND Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.
2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.
3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.
4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand.
5 And he said unto them, The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.
6 And Samuel said unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers.
8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.
9 And when they forgat the Lord their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.
10 And they cried unto the Lord, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.
12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king.
13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you.
14 If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God:
15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.
16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes.
17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king.
18 So Samuel called unto the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.
20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;
21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.
22 For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.
23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:
24 Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

1And Samuel saide vnto all Israel, Beholde, I haue hearkned vnto your voice in all that ye said vnto mee, and haue made a King ouer you.

2And now behold, the King walketh before you: and I am olde, and gray headed, and behold, my sonnes are with you: and I haue walked before you from my childhood vnto this day.

3Behold, here I am, witnesse against me before the Lord, and before his Anoynted: Whose oxe haue I taken? or whose asse haue I taken? or whom haue I defrauded? whom haue I oppressed? or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

4And they said, Thou hast not defrauded vs, nor oppressed vs, neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand.

5And hee said vnto them, The Lord is witnesse against you, and his Anointed is witnesse this day, that ye haue not found ought in my hand: And they answered, He is witnesse.

6 And Samuel said vnto the people, It is the Lord that aduanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers vp out of the land of Egypt.

7Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord, of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and your fathers.

8When Iacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried vnto the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, which brought foorth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

9And when they forgat the Lord their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera captaine of the hoste of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

10And they cried vnto the Lord, and said, Wee haue sinned, because we haue forsaken the Lord, and haue serued Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliuer vs out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serue thee.

11And the Lord sent Ierubbaal, and Bedan, and Iephthah, and Samuel, and deliuered you out of the hand of your enemies on euery side, and yee dwelled safe.

12And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said vnto me, Nay, but a King shall reigne ouer vs, when the Lord your God was your King.

13Now therefore, behold the King whom yee haue chosen, and whom yee haue desired: and behold, the Lord hath set a King ouer you.

14If ye will feare the Lord, and serue him, and obey his voice, and not rebell against the Commandement of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the King that reigneth ouer you, continue following the Lord your God.

15But if ye wil not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the Commandement of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing which the Lord will doe before your eyes.

17Is it not wheat haruest to day? I will call vnto the Lord, and hee shall send thunder and raine, that ye may perceiue and see that your wickednesse is great, which ye haue done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a King.

18So Samuel called vnto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and raine that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19And all the people said vnto Samuel, Pray for thy seruants vnto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we haue added vnto all our sinnes, this euil, to aske vs a King.

20 And Samuel saide vnto the people, Feare not: (ye haue done al this wickednesse, yet turne not aside from following the Lord, but serue the Lord with all your heart:

21And turne ye not aside, for then should ye goe after vaine things, which cannot profit, nor deliuer, for they are vaine.)

22For the Lord wil not forsake his people, for his great Names sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.

23Moreouer, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way.

24Onely feare the Lord, and serue him in trueth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

25But if yee shall still doe wickedly, yee shall be consumed, both yee and your King.

II == Num 27:17 ; 1st Sam 8:1 , 5 , 20

 

 

 

 

III == Num 16:15 ; Deut 15:19

 

 

 

 

 

 

V == Ex 22:4 ; John 18:38 ; Acts 23:9 ; 24:16 , 20

 

VI == Mic 6:4

 

 

VII == Judg 5:11 ; Isa 1:18 ; 5:3-4 ; Mic 6:2-3

 

VIII == Gen 46:5-6 ; Ex 2:23 ; 3:10 ; 4:16

 

 

IX == Judg 3:7 , 12 ; 4:2 ; 10:7 ; 13:1

 

 

X == Judg 2:13 ; Judg 10:10 , 15-16

 

 

XI == Judg 6:14 , 32 ; 11:1 ; 1st Sam 7:13

 

XII == Judg 8:23 ; 1st Sam 8:5 , 7 , 19 ; 10:19 ; 11:1

 

 

XIII == 1st Sam 8:5 ; 9:20 ; 10:24 ; Hos 13:11

XIV == Josh 24:14 ; Ps 81:13-14

 

 

 

XV == Lev 26:14-15 ; Deut 28:15

 

XVI == Ex 14:13 , 31

XVII == Josh 10:12 ; Prov 26:1

 

 

XVIII == Ex 14:31 ; Ezra 10:9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXI == 1st Cor 8:4

 

XXII == Deut 7:7-8 ; 14:2

 

XXIII == Ps 34:11 ; Prov 4:11 ; Rom 1:9 ; Col 1:9 ; Col 1:9 ; 2nd Tim 1:3

XXIV == Eccl 12:13 ; Isa 5:12

 

XXV == Deut 28:36 ; Josh 24:20

 

 

1. Samuel addressed all Israel: "I have granted your request in every respect," he said. "I have set a king over you

2 and now the king is your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and have sons among you. I have lived with you from my youth to the present day.

3 Here I stand! Answer me in the presence of the LORD and of his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose ass have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whom have I accepted a bribe and overlooked his guilt? I will make restitution to you."

4 They replied, "You have neither cheated us, nor oppressed us, nor accepted anything from anyone."

5 So he said to them, "The LORD is witness against you this day, and his anointed as well, that you have found nothing in my possession." "He is witness," they agreed.

6 Continuing, Samuel said to the people: "The LORD is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.

7 Now, therefore, take your stand, and I shall arraign you before the LORD, and shall recount for you all the acts of mercy the LORD has done for you and your fathers.

8 When Jacob and his sons went to Egypt and the Egyptians oppressed them, your fathers appealed to the LORD, who sent Moses and Aaron to bring them out of Egypt, and he gave them this place to live in.

9 But they forgot the LORD their God; and he allowed them to fall into the clutches of Sisera, the captain of the army of Jabin, king of Hazor, into the grasp of the Philistines, and into the grip of the king of Moab, who made war against them.

10 Each time they appealed to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned in forsaking the LORD and worshiping Baals and Ashtaroth; but deliver us now from the power of our enemies, and we will worship you.'

11 Accordingly, the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel; he delivered you from the power of your enemies on every side, so that you were able to live in security.

 

12 Yet, when you saw Nahash, king of the Ammonites, advancing against you, you said to me, 'Not so, but a king must rule us,' even though the LORD your God is your king.

13 "Now you have the king you want, a king the LORD has given you.

14 If you fear the LORD and worship him, if you are obedient to him and do not rebel against the LORD'S command, if both you and the king who rules you follow the LORD your God - well and good.

15 But if you do not obey the LORD and if you rebel against his command, the LORD will deal severely with you and your king, and destroy you.

16 Now then, stand ready to witness the great marvel the LORD is about to accomplish before your eyes.

17 Are we not in the harvest time for wheat? Yet I shall call to the LORD, and he will send thunder and rain. Thus you will see and understand how greatly the LORD is displeased that you have asked for a king."

18 Samuel then called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day. As a result, all the people dreaded the LORD and Samuel.

19 They said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for us, your servants, that we may not die for having added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king."

20 "Do not fear," Samuel answered them. "It is true you have committed all this evil; still, you must not turn from the LORD, but must worship him with your whole heart.

21 Do not turn to meaningless idols which can neither profit nor save; they are nothing.

22 For the sake of his own great name the LORD will not abandon his people, since the LORD himself chose to make you his people.

23 As for me, far be it from me to sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you and to teach you the good and right way.

24 But you must fear the LORD and worship him faithfully with your whole heart; keep in mind the great things he has done among you.

25 If instead you continue to do evil, both you and your king shall perish."

 

v 1-5. While the people were gathered at Gilgal, 11:14,15, Samuel gave his farewell address to the people. There is nothing to support those who think this is the first anniversary of Saul being made king. Samuel first showed recognition of his old age in 8:1. He is probably just past fifty. His sons had taken bribes and perverted justice, 8:3, but when he says “behold my sons are before you, he is indicating they are out of office and just private citizens. Then he challenges the people if he had personally done anything wrong. They not only agreed to his innocence, but pledged it as witness before the Lord and the new King.

v 6-11. Samuel reviewed before them the Lord’s deliverances from the time Jacob entered Egypt until the present. Each time the people fell away from the Lord in the promised land and repented, He sent judges as deliverers, and they should have been content with that. Samuel’s examples were, Jerubbaal (Gideon), Bedan (Abdon), Jephthah, and himself.

v 12-15. After those deliverances, Samuel chides them for asking for a king when Nahash began threatening them. (Apparently Nahash was becoming threatening even before his ultimatum to Jabesh-Gilead in chapter 11.) The Lord had granted them their request, but Samuel emphasizes that their well being does not rest in having a king, but in their obedience  to the Lord. Disobedience will bring judgment.

v 16-19. The people  may have thought they did a good  thing in getting a king to bring them victory. Samuel announced to them that to show the Lord’s rebuke for asking a king, the Lord would send a big thunder and rain storm in the midst of wheat harvest. This was unheard of in the dry season of that area, but the storm came. The people were quick to acknowledge their sin as an addition to their other sins, and in fear of Samuel and the Lord, begged for their lives.

v 20-25. Samuel assured the people that in spite of their wickedness, the Lord would still bless them if they would serve Him faithfully. After all, the Lord had not blessed them for their own merit, but because He had chosen them. Samuel also assured them that in his remaining years he would continue to pray for them. He ended with a reminder that if they followed the Lord they would experience great things, but if they did wickedly, the Lord would be unmerciful and consume them.