| Holman Christian Standard Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1Then Samuel said to all Israel, "I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you. | 1And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you. |
| 2Now you can see that the king is leading you. As for me, I'm old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until today. | 2And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. |
| 3Here I am. Bring charges against me before the LORD and His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged or mistreated? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you." | 3Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” |
| 4"You haven't wronged us, you haven't mistreated us, and you haven't taken anything from anyone's hand," they responded. | 4They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” |
| 5He said to them, "The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today that you haven't found anything in my hand." "He is a witness," they said. | 5And he said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.” |
| 6Then Samuel said to the people, "The LORD, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness. | 6And Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is witness, who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. |
| 7Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before the LORD about all the righteous acts He has done for you and your ancestors. | 7Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous deeds of the LORD that he performed for you and for your fathers. |
| 8"When Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD, and He sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. | 8When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the LORD and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. |
| 9But they forgot the LORD their God, so He handed them over to Sisera commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. These enemies fought against them. | 9But they forgot the LORD their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, 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 against them. |
| 10Then they cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned, for we abandoned the LORD and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve You.' | 10And they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, that we may serve you.’ |
| 11So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely. | 11And the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. |
| 12But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, 'No, we must have a king rule over us--even though the LORD your God is your king. | 12And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your king. |
| 13"Now here is the king you've chosen, the one you requested. Look, this is the king the LORD has placed over you. | 13And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the LORD has set a king over you. |
| 14If you fear the LORD, worship and obey Him, and if you don't rebel against the LORD's command, then both you and the king who rules over you will follow the LORD your God. | 14If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. |
| 15However, if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, the LORD's hand will be against you and against your ancestors. | 15But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king. |
| 16"Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. | 16Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. |
| 17Isn't the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD and He will send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you committed in the LORD's sight by requesting a king for yourselves." | 17Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking for yourselves a king.” |
| 18Samuel called on 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 upon the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. |
| 19They pleaded with Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so we won't die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves." | 19And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” |
| 20Samuel replied, "Don't be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don't turn away from following the LORD. Instead, worship the LORD with all your heart. | 20And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. |
| 21Don't turn away to follow worthless things that can't profit or deliver you; they are worthless. | 21And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. |
| 22The LORD will not abandon His people, because of His great name and because He has determined to make you His own people. | 22For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself. |
| 23"As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. | 23Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. |
| 24Above all, fear the LORD and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you. | 24Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. |
| 25However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away." | 25But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” |
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