| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Then 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. | 1Samuel said to all Israel, "I have done everything you requested. I have given you a king. |
| 2Now 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. | 2Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, though my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day. |
| 3Here 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.” | 3Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the LORD and before his chosen king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me, and I will return it to you!" |
| 4“You have not wronged us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.” | 4They replied, "You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone." |
| 5Samuel 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. | 5He said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and his chosen king is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me." They said, "He is witness!" |
| 6Then 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. | 6Samuel said to the people, "The LORD is the one who chose Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt. |
| 7Now present yourselves, so that I may confront you before the LORD with all the righteous acts He has done for you and your fathers. | 7Now take your positions, so I may confront you before the LORD regarding all the LORD's just actions toward you and your ancestors. |
| 8When 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. | 8When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD. The LORD sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. |
| 9But 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. | 9"But they forgot the LORD their God, so he gave them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor's army, and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. |
| 10Then 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.’ | 10Then they cried out to the LORD and admitted, 'We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.' |
| 11So 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. | 11So the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hand of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely. |
| 12But 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. | 12"When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, 'No! A king will rule over us'--even though the LORD your God is your king! |
| 13Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you. | 13Now look! Here is the king you have chosen--the one that you asked for! Look, the LORD has given you a king! |
| 14If 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 reigns over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well. | 14If you fear the LORD, serving him and obeying him and not rebelling against what he says, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, all will be well. |
| 15But 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. | 15But if you don't obey the LORD and rebel against what the LORD says, the hand of the LORD will be against both you and your king. |
| 16Now, therefore, stand and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. | 16"So now, take your positions and watch this great thing that the LORD is about to do in your sight. |
| 17Is 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.” | 17Is this not the time of the wheat harvest? I will call on the LORD so that he makes it thunder and rain. Realize and see what a great sin you have committed before the LORD by asking for a king for yourselves." |
| 18So 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. | 18So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the LORD and Samuel. |
| 19They 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.” | 19All the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God on behalf of us--your servants--so we won't die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king." |
| 20“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. | 20Then Samuel said to the people, "Don't be afraid. You have indeed sinned. However, don't turn aside from the LORD. Serve the LORD with all your heart. |
| 21Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty. | 21You should not turn aside after empty things that can't profit and can't deliver, since they are empty. |
| 22Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own. | 22The LORD will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. The LORD was pleased to make you his own people. |
| 23As 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. | 23As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright. |
| 24Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. | 24However, fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you! |
| 25But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.” | 25But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away." |
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