¹ And Samuel said to^▵ all Israel, Behold, I have obeyed your voice as·​·to all that you said to me, and have made a king to reign over you.

² And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I^◦ am·​·old and gray-haired; and, behold, my sons are with^◦ you; and I^◦ have walked before you from my youth even·​·to this day.

³ Behold me; answer against^◦ me in·​·front·​·of Jehovah and in·​·front·​·of His anointed: whose ox have I taken? And whose donkey have I taken? And whom have I oppressed? With^◦ whom have I clashed? And from whose hand have I taken an atonement that I should hide^◦ my eye against^◦ him? And I will return it to you.

⁴ And they said, Thou hast not oppressed us nor clashed with^◦ us, nor taken anything from the hand of a man^◦.

⁵ And he said to^▵ them, Jehovah is a 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.

⁶ And Samuel said unto^▵ the people, It is Jehovah who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt.

⁷ And now, stand·​·forth, and I will plead^* with^◦ you before Jehovah, as to all the justice of Jehovah, which He did with^◦ you and your fathers,

⁸ when^▵ Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto^▵ Jehovah, and Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron and brought· your fathers ·out from Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

⁹ And they forgot Jehovah 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 with them.

¹⁰ And they cried to^▵ Jehovah, and said, We have sinned, for we have forsaken Jehovah, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth; but now rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve Thee.

¹¹ And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal^*, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and rescued you from the hand of your enemies all around, and you dwelt securely.

¹² And you saw that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, and you said unto me, No, for a king shall reign over us; when Jehovah your God was your king.

¹³ And now, behold the king you have chosen, whom you asked for; and, behold, Jehovah has given a king over you.

¹⁴ If you will fear Jehovah, and serve Him, and obey His voice, and not rebel against the mouth of Jehovah, then both^◦ you^◦, and also the king who reigns over you, shall follow^◦ after Jehovah your God.

¹⁵ But if you will not obey the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the mouth of Jehovah, then shall the hand of Jehovah be against you and against your fathers.

¹⁶ Now also, stand and see this great thing which Jehovah will do before your eyes.

¹⁷ Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to^▵ Jehovah, and He will give voices and rain, that you may know and see that your evil is much which you have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for yourselves a king.

¹⁸ And Samuel called unto^▵ Jehovah, and Jehovah gave voices^* and rain that^◦ day; and all the people feared Jehovah and Samuel exceedingly.

¹⁹ And all the people said unto^▵ Samuel, Pray for^▫ thy servants to^▵ Jehovah thy God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.

²⁰ And Samuel said to^▵ the people, Fear not; you^◦ have done all this evil, only^▵ turn· not ·aside from following after Jehovah and serving Jehovah with all your heart;

²¹ and turn· not ·aside, to follow after the things that are void, which do not profit nor rescue; for they^◦ are void.

²² For Jehovah will not abandon His people, for the sake of His great name; for Jehovah is·​·content to make you a people for Him.

²³ Also as for me^▵, far·​·be·​·it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in stopping to pray for^▫ you; but I will instruct you in the good and the upright way.

²⁴ Only^▵ fear Jehovah, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for you see how^▫ He has caused great things with you.

²⁵ But if doing·​·evil, you shall do·​·evil, both^◦ you^◦ and^◦ your king, you shall be consumed.