1And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2And now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth to this day. 3Here I am: witness against me before Yehovah, 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 ransom to blind my eyes with it? and I will restore it to you. 4And they said, You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything from any man’s hand. 5And he said to them, Yehovah 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. 6And Samuel said to the people, It is Yehovah who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before Yehovah concerning all the righteous acts of Yehovah, which he did to you and to your fathers. 8When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Yehovah, then Yehovah sent Moses and Aaron, who brought out your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. 9But they forgot Yehovah their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. 10And they cried to Yehovah, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yehovah, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you. 11And Yehovah sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety. 12And when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us; when Yehovah your God was your king. 13Now therefore behold the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for: and, behold, Yehovah has set a king over you. 14If you will fear Yehovah, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Yehovah, and both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of Yehovah your God, well: 15but if you will not listen to the voice of Yehovah, but rebel against the commandment of Yehovah, then the hand of Yehovah will be against you, as it was against your fathers. 16Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Yehovah will do before your eyes. 17Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to Yehovah, 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 Yehovah, in asking for yourselves a king. 18So Samuel called to Yehovah; and Yehovah sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared Yehovah and Samuel. 19And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to Yehovah your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king. 20And Samuel said to the people, Do not fear: you have indeed done all this evil; yet do not turn aside from following Yehovah, but serve Yehovah with all your heart: 21and do not turn aside; for then you would go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain. 22For Yehovah will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased Yehovah to make you a people to himself. 23Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yehovah in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24Only fear Yehovah, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he has done for you. 25But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king.