| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Then Samuel said to all Israel, "I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you. | 1Samuel said to all Israel, "I have done everything you requested. I have given you a king. |
| 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. | 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. 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. 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 haven't wronged us, you haven't mistreated us, and you haven't taken anything from anyone's hand," they responded. | 4They replied, "You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone." |
| 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. | 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, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness. | 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 I may confront you before the LORD about all the righteous acts He has done for you and your ancestors. | 7Now take your positions, so I may confront you before the LORD regarding all the LORD's just actions toward you and your ancestors. |
| 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 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, 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. | 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 abandoned the LORD and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the power of our enemies, and we will 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. He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived 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 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. | 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! |
| 13"Now here is the king you've chosen, the one you requested. Look, this is the king the LORD has placed 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, 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 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 16"Now, therefore, present yourselves 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. |
| 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 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." |
| 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 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 we won't die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves." | 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." |
| 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. | 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. |
| 21Don't turn away to follow worthless things that can't profit or deliver you; they are worthless. | 21You should not turn aside after empty things that can't profit and can't deliver, since 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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 worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the 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! |
| 25However, if you continue to do what is 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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