1 Samuel 12-13

Christian Standard Bible

Samuel’s Final Public Speech

12 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you.^{(A) 2} Now 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 now. ³ Here I am. Bring charges against me before the Lord and his anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken?^(B) Who have I wronged or mistreated? Who gave me a bribe to overlook something?^[a](C) 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,” they responded.

⁵ He said to them, “The Lord is a witness against you, and his anointed is a witness today that you haven’t found anything^(D) in my hand.”^(E)

“He is a witness,” they said.

⁶ Then Samuel said to the people, “The Lord, who appointed Moses and Aaron^(F) and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness.^{[b] 7} Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before the Lord about all the righteous acts he has done for you and your ancestors.

⁸ “When Jacob went to Egypt,^[c] your ancestors cried out to the Lord,^(G) and he sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.^{(H) 9} But they forgot the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera^(I) commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab.^(J) These enemies fought against them. ¹⁰ Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, for we abandoned the Lord and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now rescue us from the power of our enemies,^(K) and we will serve you.’ ¹¹ So the Lord sent Jerubbaal,^(L) Barak,^[d](M) Jephthah,^(N) and Samuel.^(O) He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely. ¹² But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reign over us’—even though the Lord your God is your king.

¹³ “Now here is the king you’ve chosen,^(P) the one you requested.^(Q) Look, this is the king the Lord has placed over you. ¹⁴ If you fear the Lord,^(R) worship and obey him, and if you don’t rebel against the Lord’s command, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. ¹⁵ However, if you disobey the Lord^(S) and rebel against his command, the Lord’s hand will be against you^(T) as it was against your ancestors.^[e](U)

¹⁶ “Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes.^{(V) 17} Isn’t the wheat harvest today?^(W) I will call on the Lord, and he will send thunder and rain so that you will recognize what an immense evil you committed in the Lord’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves.”^{(X) 18} Samuel 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.^(Y)

¹⁹ They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants^(Z) so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.”^(AA)

²⁰ Samuel replied, “Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord.^(AB) Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart. ²¹ Don’t turn away to follow worthless^[f] things that can’t profit or rescue you; they are worthless.^{(AC) 22} The Lord will not abandon his people,^(AD) because of his great name and because he has determined to make you his own people.^(AE)

²³ “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.^(AF) I will teach you the good and right way. ²⁴ Above all, fear the Lord and worship him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things he has done for you.^{(AG) 25} However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”^(AH)

Saul’s Failure

13 Saul was thirty years^[g] old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years^[h] over Israel.^{[i] 2} He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash^(AI) and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah^(AJ) of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.

³ Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison^[j](AK) in Gibeah,^[k] and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land^(AL) saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!” ^{[l](AM) 4} And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

⁵ The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: three thousand^[m] chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore.^(AN) They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.^[n](AO)

⁶ The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns.^{(AP) 7} Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.

Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. ⁸ He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set,^(AQ) but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. ⁹ So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.

¹⁰ Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, ¹¹ and Samuel asked, “What have you done?”

Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, ¹² I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”

¹³ Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish.^(AR) You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.^(AS) It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel,^{(AT) 14} but now your reign will not endure.^(AU) The Lord has found a man after his own heart,^[o](AV) and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the Lord commanded.” ¹⁵ Then Samuel went^[p] from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.

¹⁶ Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them were staying in Geba^(AW) of Benjamin, and the Philistines were camped at Michmash. ¹⁷ Raiding parties^(AX) went out from the Philistine camp in three divisions. One division headed toward the Ophrah^(AY) road leading to the land of Shual. ¹⁸ The next division headed toward the Beth-horon^(AZ) road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Zeboim Valley^(BA) toward the wilderness.

¹⁹ No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel^(BB) because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.” ²⁰ So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles.^{[q] 21} The price was two-thirds of a shekel^[r] for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on a cattle prod. ²² So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hand of any of the troops who were with Saul^(BC) and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

Jonathan’s Victory over the Philistines

²³ Now a Philistine garrison^(BD) took control of the pass at Michmash.