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1 S A MU EL 1 2
Samuel’s Farewell Address
Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I
have done as you asked and given you a
king. 2 Your king is now your leader. I stand here
before you—an old, gray-haired man—and my
sons serve you. I have served as your leader from
the time I was a boy to this very day. 3 Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and
before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey
have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you?
Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a
bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will
make right whatever I have done wrong.”
4 “No,” they replied, “you have never cheated
or oppressed us, and you have never taken even
a single bribe.”
12
— promises —
from God
“The Lord will not
abandon his people.”
1 SA M U E L 1 2:2 2
5 “The Lord and his anointed one are my
witnesses today,” Samuel declared, “that my
hands are clean.”
“Yes, he is a witness,” they replied.
6 “It was the Lord who appointed Moses and
Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your
ancestors out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now stand
here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of
all the great things the Lord has done for you
and your ancestors.
8 “When the Israelites were* in Egypt and
cried out to the Lord, he sent Moses and Aaron
to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them
into this land. 9 But the people soon forgot about
the Lord their God, so he handed them over to
Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and
also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab,
who fought against them.
10 “Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from
the Lord and worshiping the images of Baal
and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you
alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.’
11 Then the Lord sent Gideon,* Bedan,* Jephthah, and Samuel* to save you, and you lived
in safety.
12 “But when you were afraid of Nahash, the
king of Ammon, you came to me and said that
you wanted a king to reign over you, even though
the Lord your God was already your king. 13 All
right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked
for him, and the Lord has granted your request.
14 “Now if you fear and worship the Lord and
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listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against
the Lord’s commands, then both you and your
king will show that you recognize the Lord as
your God. 15 But if you rebel against the Lord’s
commands and refuse to listen to him, then his
hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon
your ancestors.
16 “Now stand here and see the great thing the
Lord is about to do. 17 You know that it does not
rain at this time of the year during the wheat
harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and
rain today. Then you will realize how wicked
you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”
18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord
sent thunder and rain that day. And all the
people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel. 19 “Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we
will die!” they all said to Samuel. “For now we
have added to our sins by asking for a king.”
20 “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them.
“You have certainly done wrong, but make sure
now that you worship the Lord with all your
heart, and don’t turn your back on him. 21 Don’t
go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! 22 The Lord will not abandon his people,
because that would dishonor his great name.
For it has pleased the Lord to make you his
very own people.
23 “As for me, I will certainly not sin against
the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And
I will continue to teach you what is good and
right. 24 But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful
things he has done for you. 25 But if you continue
to sin, you and your king will be swept away.”
Continued War with Philistia
Saul was thirty* years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two
years.*
2 Saul selected 3,000 special troops from
the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men
home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with
him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel.
The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan
to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.
3 Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. The
news spread quickly among the Philistines. So
Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land,
saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!”
4 All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and that
13
12:8 Hebrew When Jacob was. The names “Jacob” and “Israel”
are often interchanged throughout the Old Testament,
referring sometimes to the individual patriarch and sometimes
to the nation. 12:11a Hebrew Jerub-baal, another name for
Gideon; see Judg 6:32. 12:11b Greek and Syriac versions
read Barak. 12:11c Greek and Syriac versions read Samson.
13:1a As in a few Greek manuscripts; the number is missing in
the Hebrew. 13:1b Hebrew reigned . . . and two; the number
is incomplete in the Hebrew. Compare Acts 13:21.