Samuel’s Farewell Address 1 UST Then Samuel told all the Israelite people,“Now listen. I have given you a king to rule you. So I have now done everything you asked me to do. 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 UST And that king is now ruling you, as you can see. I have become too old to keep being the leader of Israel. You can tell that from my gray hair. You can also tell that from the fact that my sons are fully grown. I have been your leader ever since I was a boy. 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 UST If I have wronged anyone, tell me now while I stand before you. Do that while Yahweh is listening and while the king whom he has chosen is listening. Have I stolen an ox or donkey from anyone during all those years? Have I cheated anyone? Have I treated anyone badly? Have I accepted a bribe from anyone in exchange for ignoring the wrong things he was doing? If I have done any of these things, tell me, and I will repay anything I took.” 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 UST They replied,“No, you have never cheated anyone or oppressed anyone or accepted a bribe from anyone.” BSB BSB: “You have not cheated us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.”
5 UST Then Samuel told them,“Yahweh has heard you say this, and the king whom he has chosen has also heard you say this just now. You agree that I have not taken anything from anyone.{ So you must also agree that they may punish anyone who later claims differently.}” The Israelites replied,“We acknowledge that Yahweh and the king have heard us say this{ and that they may punish anyone who later claims differently}!” 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 UST Samuel then told them,“Yahweh was the one who appointed Moses and Aaron to lead our ancestors. He is the one who rescued our ancestors from slavery in 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 UST Now while Yahweh is listening, stand there as defendants while I make the case that you should not have asked for a king instead of trusting Yahweh to rescue you. I will do that by reminding you of all the times when Yahweh rescued you and your ancestors. 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 UST When the Egyptians forced the Israelites to serve them as slaves, our ancestors pleaded with Yahweh to help them. Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from slavery and to bring them to this land, where they settled. 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 UST But our ancestors stopped being loyal to Yahweh as their God. So he allowed Sisera to defeat them. Sisera was the commander of the army of King Jabin, who ruled from the city of Hazor. Yahweh also allowed the armies of the Philistines and of the king of Moab to defeat our ancestors. 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 UST Then our ancestors pleaded with Yahweh to help them. They admitted,‘Yahweh, we have sinned by forsaking you. We have worshiped idols that represent the god Baal and the goddess Ashtoreth. But if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you alone.’ 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 UST So Yahweh sent men such as Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and me. We rescued you from the control of the enemies that surrounded you. As a result, you were able to live safely in this land again. 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 UST But when you saw that King Nahash of Ammon had come with his army to attack you, you were afraid. So you came to me and said,‘Now we want a{ warrior} king to lead us.’ You said that even though Yahweh your God was already 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 UST Nevertheless, Yahweh has now appointed a king for you. So look, here is the king you wanted and asked for. BSB BSB: Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you.
14 UST If you respect Yahweh and worship him as your God, and if you do what he tells you to do and not disobey what he says, then Yahweh your God will protect you and your king from your enemies. 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 UST But if you do not do what Yahweh tells you to do and you disobey what he says, then he will help your enemies to defeat you, just as he did to our ancestors. 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 UST Now stand here quietly and look at the great thing that Yahweh is about to do while you watch. BSB BSB: Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes.
17 UST It is currently the time when you harvest your wheat crop{ and ordinarily there is no rain}. But I will ask Yahweh to send a thunderstorm and make it rain. When you see that, you will realize that Yahweh considers that you have done a very wicked thing by requesting a king of your own.” 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 UST Then Samuel prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh caused a thunderstorm to happen right then. This made all the people very afraid of Yahweh and of 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 UST They cried out to Samuel,“We have sinned further{ against Yahweh} by wickedly asking for a king of our own! So pray for us and ask Yahweh, the God you represent, not to kill us for doing that!” 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 UST Samuel told them,“Do not be afraid! You have done this evil thing just as I described, but do not stop living the way Yahweh wants you to live. Instead, serve Yahweh with complete commitment. 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 UST Do not abandon Yahweh and worship useless idols. Because they are truly useless, they can not benefit you or rescue you from your enemies. BSB BSB: Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty.
22 UST Yahweh wants everyone in the world to know what a faithful God he is. So he will not abandon us after he gladly chose us to be his own people. 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 UST For my part, you can be sure that I will keep praying for you. If I did not, I would be sinning against Yahweh. I will also continue to teach you what the right things are to do. 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 UST But you must honor Yahweh and serve him genuinely with complete commitment. Bear in mind all the great things that he has done for 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 UST But you can be sure that if you do wicked things, Yahweh will destroy you and your king!” 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.