Samuel's Farewell Address
1 And Shemu’ĕl said to all Yisra’ĕl, “Look, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have set a sovereign over you.
2 “And now, look, the sovereign is walking before you. And I am old and grey, and look, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth to this day.
3 “Look, here I am. Witness against me before יהוה and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I oppressed? Whom have I abused, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? – then I restore it to you.”
4 And they said, “You have not oppressed us or abused us, nor have you taken any bribe from anyone’s hand.”
5 So he said to them, “יהוה is witness against you, and His anointed is witness today, that you have found naught in my hand.” And they answered, “He is witness.”
6 And Shemu’ĕl said to the people, “It is יהוה who appointed Mosheh and Aharon, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Mitsrayim.
7 “And now, stand still, so that I judge you before יהוה concerning all the righteous acts of יהוה which He did to you and your fathers:
8 “When Ya‛aqoḇ had come to Mitsrayim, and your fathers cried out to יהוה, then יהוה sent Mosheh and Aharon, who brought your fathers out of Mitsrayim and made them dwell in this place.
9 “But they forgot יהוה their Elohim, so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Ḥatsor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the sovereign of Mo’aḇ. And they fought against them.
10 “And they cried out to יהוה, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken יהוה and served the Ba‛als and the Ashtaroth. And now, deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we serve You.’
11 “And יהוה sent Yerubba‛al, and Beḏan, and Yiphtaḥ, and Shemu’ĕl, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies round about, and you dwelt in safety.
12 “And when you saw that Naḥash sovereign of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but let a sovereign reign over us,’ when יהוה your Elohim was your sovereign.
13 “And now, here is the sovereign whom you have chosen and whom you have asked. And see, יהוה has set a sovereign over you.
14 “If you fear יהוה, and shall serve Him and obey His voice, and not rebel against the command of יהוה, then both you and the sovereign who reigns over you shall follow יהוה your Elohim.
15 “But if you do not obey the voice of יהוה, and shall rebel against the command of יהוה, then the hand of יהוה shall be against you, as it was against your fathers.
16 “And now, stand and see this great matter which יהוה does before your eyes:
17 “Is today not the wheat harvest? Let me call to יהוה, so that He sends thunder and rain – know then and see that your evil is great, which you have done in the eyes of יהוה, in asking for yourselves a sovereign.”
18 And Shemu’ĕl called to יהוה, and יהוה sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared יהוה and Shemu’ĕl.
19 And all the people said to Shemu’ĕl, “Pray for your servants to יהוה your Elohim, that we do not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil of asking for ourselves a sovereign.”
20 And Shemu’ĕl said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this evil. Only, do not turn aside from following יהוה. And you shall serve יהוה with all your heart,
21 and do not turn aside after worthless matters which do not profit or deliver, for they are worthless.
22 “For יהוה would not cast away His people, for His great Name’s sake, seeing it has pleased יהוה to make you His people.
23 “Also, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against יהוה in ceasing to pray for you, but I shall teach you the good and straight way.
24 “Only fear יהוה, and you shall serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what marvels He has done for you.
25 “But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your sovereign are consumed.”
— 1 Samuel 12 | The Scriptures 1998 (ISR 1998)
The Scriptures 1998 Copyright © 1998 Institute for Scripture Research. All Rights reserved.
Cross References: Genesis 46:5-6; Exodus 6:26; Exodus 14:13; Exodus 14:31; Leviticus 26:14-15; Deuteronomy 11:16; Deuteronomy 32:18; Joshua 13:31; Joshua 24:14; Joshua 24:20; Judges 4:6; Judges 8:23; 1 Samuel 3:10; 1 Samuel 8:5; 1 Samuel 8:7; Isaiah 5:12; Micah 6:1; Acts 14:15; Acts 20:33; Acts 23:9; Romans 1:9; Romans 11:1; Hebrews 11:33; James 5:16; 1 John 5:16
