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          DASV: 1 Samuel 12    

1 Samuel said to all Israel, "I have listened to your voice
in everything you requested of me, and have set a king over you.
2 Now look, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray;
and my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my
youth to this day.
3 Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his
anointed one. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken?
Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand
have I taken a bribe blinding my eyes because of it? Tell
me now and I will pay you back."
4 They confessed, "You have not cheated or oppressed us, nor have
you taken any bribe from anyone's hand."
5 He said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and his
anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in
my hand." They replied, "He is witness."

6 Samuel said to the people, "It was the LORD who appointed Moses
and Aaron, and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7 Now therefore stand still, so that I may argue my case with
you before the LORD concerning all the righteous deeds the
LORD did for you and your forefathers.
8 When Jacob went down to Egypt, your forefathers cried out to
the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your
forefathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
9 But they forgot the LORD their God so he sold them into the
hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand
of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab,
who fought against them.
10 Then they cried out to the LORD confessing, 'We have sinned,
because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals
and the Ashtareths. Now deliver us out of the hand of our
enemies, and we will serve you.'
11 So the LORD sent Jerub-baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel,
and he delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on
every side, and you lived in safety.

12 When you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came
against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king should reign
over us,' even though the LORD your God was your king.
13 Now see, here is the king you have chosen, and whom you
demanded, the LORD has set a king over you.
14 If you will fear the LORD, serve him, obey his voice,
not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and both
you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD
your God, then it will go well for you.
15 But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel
against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of
the LORD will be against you, just as it was against
your forefathers.

16 Now therefore stand still and see this great thing the
LORD will do before your eyes.
17 Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the
LORD, so that he may send thunder and rain; then you will
realize and see how great your wickedness is that you have
done in the sight of the LORD by your asking for a king."
18 So Samuel called on the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder
and rain that day. So all the people greatly feared the
LORD and Samuel.

19 Then all the people pleaded with Samuel, "Pray for your
servants to the LORD your God, so that we do not die; for we
have added to all our sins by demanding a king for ourselves."
20 Then Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid. You have
indeed done all this evil, yet don't turn aside from following
the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
21 Do not turn aside after worthless idols which cannot profit
or deliver, for they are worthless.
22 For the LORD will not abandon his people, for his great
name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you
his very own people.
23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin
against the LORD by failing to pray for you; and I will
instruct you in the good and right way.
24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your
heart; realizing what great things he has done for you.
25 But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king
will be swept away."

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