Samuel Speaks at Saul's Coronation
1 Kingdoms 12, verse 1. Now Samuel said to all the men of Israel, “Indeed! I heeded your voice in all the many things you said to me, and I appointed a king to reign for you. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 2. Now behold, the king goes before you, and I grow old and will rest. And behold, my sons are with you. And behold, I have walked before you from my youth to this day. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 3. Behold, here I am; answer against me before my Lord and before His anointed one. Whose calf have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken? Whom of you have I oppressed, or whom have I cheated? From whose hand have I taken any bribe, even a sandal? Bear witness against me, and I will pay it back to you.” 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 4. And they said to Samuel, “You have not wronged us or oppressed us or crushed us, nor taken anything from anyone's hand.” 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 5. Then Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness among you, and His anointed one is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they answered, “He is a witness.” 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 6. Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron as witnesses. It is the Lord who brought your fathers up from Egypt. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 7. Now, therefore, stand still and I will judge you before the Lord and relate to you all the righteous acts the Lord did for you and your fathers. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 8. Thus when Jacob and his sons went into Egypt and Egypt humbled them, and our fathers cried out to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, He brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 9. And they forgot the Lord their God, and He delivered them over into the hands of Sisera, commander of Jabin king of Hazor, into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab; and they waged war against them. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 10. Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord. We served the Baals and the sacred groves; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies and we will serve You.’ 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 11. And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you then dwelt in safety. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 12. And you saw Nahash king of the sons of Ammon come against you, and you said, ‘No, none but a king shall reign over us’; whereas the Lord your God is your King. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 13. “Now, therefore, here is the king you have chosen, and see, the Lord has provided a king for you. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 14. If you fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not resist the words of the Lord, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue to follow the Lord. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 15. But if you do not obey the voice of the Lord, but resist the words of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and against your king. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 16. Now, therefore, stand and see the great thing the Lord will do before your eyes. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 17. Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may know and see that you have done great wickedness before the Lord in asking a king for yourselves.” 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 18. So Samuel called on the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 19. And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so that we do not die; for we have added to all our sins in asking for ourselves a king.” 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 20. Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; only do not turn away from following the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 21. And do not turn aside after empty things which cannot profit anyone or deliver them, for they are nothing. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 22. For the Lord will not reject His people for the sake of His mighty name, for it pleased the Lord to accept you as His people. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 23. Far be it from me to sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will serve the Lord and show you the good and the right way. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 24. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart, for you know what great things He has done for you. 1 Kingdoms 12, verse 25. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be joined together in death, both you and your king.”