Samuel’s Farewell Address 1 ULT And Samuel said to all of Israel,“Behold, I have listened to your voice according to all of what you said to me, and I have made a king reign over you. BSB BSB: Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and I have set over you a king.
2 ULT And now, behold, the king is walking to your faces. Now I myself have aged and have become gray- headed and my sons, behold them with you. Now I myself have walked to your faces from my youth to this day. BSB BSB: Now here is the king walking before you, and I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.
3 ULT Behold me! Testify against me before Yahweh and before his anointed. The ox of whom have I taken, or the donkey of whom have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from the hand of whom have I taken a bribe and I veiled my eyes with it? And I will restore{ it} to you.” BSB BSB: Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.”
4 ULT And they said,“You have not defrauded us, and you have not oppressed us, and you have not taken anything from the hand of a man.” BSB BSB: “You have not cheated us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.”
5 ULT And he said to them,“Yahweh{ is} a witness against you, and his anointed{ is} a witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And he said,“Witness.” BSB BSB: Samuel said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they replied.
6 ULT And Samuel said to the people,“{ It was} Yahweh who made Moses and Aaron and who brought up your fathers from the land of Egypt. BSB BSB: Then Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is the One who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7 ULT And now, station yourselves and let me be judged with you to the face of Yahweh with all of the righteousness of Yahweh that he has done with you and with your fathers. BSB BSB: Now present yourselves, so that I may confront you before the LORD with all the righteous acts He has done for you and your fathers.
8 ULT When Jacob had entered Egypt and your fathers cried out to Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, and they brought out your fathers from Egypt and they made them dwell in this place. BSB BSB: When Jacob went to Egypt, your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He sent them Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
9 ULT But they forgot Yahweh their God. So he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought with them. BSB BSB: But they forgot the LORD their God, and He sold them into the hand of Sisera the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them.
10 ULT Then they cried out to Yahweh and said,‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken Yahweh and have served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. And now, deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ BSB BSB: Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve You.’
11 ULT So Yahweh sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel. And he delivered you from the hand of your enemies from all around, and you dwelled in security. BSB BSB: So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt securely.
12 ULT But you saw that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon, was coming against you, and you said to me,‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ though Yahweh your God{ was} your king. BSB BSB: But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king.
13 ULT But now, behold the king whom you have chosen, whom you have requested. And behold, Yahweh has given a king over you. BSB BSB: Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you.
14 ULT If you fear Yahweh and serve him and listen to his voice and do not rebel against the mouth of Yahweh, then you will be, both you and the king who reigns over you, after Yahweh your God. BSB BSB: If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well.
15 ULT But if you do not listen to the voice of Yahweh and you rebel against the mouth of Yahweh, then the hand of Yahweh will be against you and against your fathers. BSB BSB: But if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers.
16 ULT Even now station yourselves and see this great thing that Yahweh is doing before your eyes. BSB BSB: Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes.
17 ULT { Is it} not the harvest of wheat today? I will call to Yahweh, and he will give thunder and rain. And know and see that your evil that you have done is great in the eyes of Yahweh, to request a king for yourselves.” BSB BSB: Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king.”
18 ULT Then Samuel called upon Yahweh, and Yahweh gave thunder and rain on that day. And all of the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel. BSB BSB: So Samuel called to the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
19 ULT And all of the people said to Samuel,“Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, that we may not die. For we have added evil onto all of our sins by the requesting of a king for ourselves.” BSB BSB: They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king.”
20 ULT And Samuel said to the people,“Do not fear. You, you have done all of this evil, but do not turn aside from after Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all of your heart. BSB BSB: “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have committed all this evil, do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
21 ULT And do not turn aside, for after the nothingness that does not profit and does not deliver, for they{ are} nothingness. BSB BSB: Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty.
22 ULT For Yahweh will not forsake his people, because of his great name. For Yahweh was pleased to make you into a people for himself. BSB BSB: Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.
23 ULT Also,{ for} me, profane to me from sinning against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you! And I will instruct you in the good and straight way. BSB BSB: As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.
24 ULT But fear Yahweh and serve him in faithfulness with all of your heart. For see what he has made great with you! BSB BSB: Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.
25 ULT But if doing wickedly, you do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.” BSB BSB: But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.