The King Confirmed

12 But when you saw (A)that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon was coming against you, you said to me, ‘(B)No, but a king shall reign over us!’ (C)Yet the Lord your God was your king. 13 And now, (D)behold, the king whom you have chosen, (E)whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lord has [a]put a king over you. 14 (F)If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the [b]command of the Lord, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. 15 But (G)if you do not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the [c]command of the Lord, then (H)the hand of the Lord will be against you, (I)even as it was against your fathers. 16 Even now, (J)take your stand and see this great thing which the Lord is going to do before your eyes. 17 (K)Is it not the wheat harvest today? (L)I will call to the Lord, that He will send [d]thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that (M)your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord, by asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent [e]thunder and rain that day; and (N)all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 Then all the people said to Samuel, “(O)Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so that we do not die; for we have added to all our sins (P)this evil, by asking for ourselves a king.” 20 Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet (Q)do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 Indeed, you must not turn aside, for then you would go after (R)useless things which cannot benefit or save, because they are useless. 22 For (S)the Lord will not abandon His people (T)on account of His great name, because the Lord (U)has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. 23 Furthermore, as for me, (V)far be it from me that I would sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but (W)I will instruct you in the good and right way. 24 (X)Only [f]fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider (Y)what great things He has done for you. 25 (Z)But if you still do evil, (AA)both you and your king (AB)will be swept away.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 12:13 Lit given
  2. 1 Samuel 12:14 Lit mouth
  3. 1 Samuel 12:15 Lit mouth
  4. 1 Samuel 12:17 Lit sounds
  5. 1 Samuel 12:18 Lit sounds
  6. 1 Samuel 12:24 Or revere

Bible Gateway Recommends