¹Samuel 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 .

²Now , behold , the king walks before you . I am old and grey-headed. Behold , my sons are with you . I have walked before you from my youth to this day .

³Here I am . Witness against me before the LORD and before his anointed . Whose ox have I taken ? Whose donkey have I taken ? Whom have I defrauded ? Whom have I oppressed ? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes ? I will restore it to you .”

⁴They said, “You have not defrauded us , nor oppressed us , neither have you taken anything from anyone’s hand .”

⁵He said to them , “The LORD is witness against you , and his anointed is witness today , that you have not found anything in my hand .”

They said, “He is witness .”

⁶Samuel said to the people , “It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt .

⁷Now therefore stand still , that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD , which he did to you and to your fathers.

⁸“When Jacob had come into Egypt , and your fathers cried to the LORD , then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt , and made them to dwell in this place .

⁹But they forgot the LORD their God ; and 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 ; and they fought against them .

¹⁰They cried to the LORD , and said, ‘We have sinned , because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth ; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies , and we will serve you .’

¹¹The LORD sent Jerubbaal , Bedan, Jephthah , and Samuel , and 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 children of Ammon came against you , you said to me , ‘No , but a king shall reign over us ,’ when the LORD your God was your king .

¹³Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for . Behold , the LORD has set a king over you .

¹⁴If you will fear the LORD , and serve him , and listen to his voice , and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD , then both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of the LORD your God .

¹⁵But if you will not listen to the LORD ’s voice , but rebel against the commandment of the LORD , then the LORD ’s hand will be against you , as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶“Now therefore stand still and see this great thing , which the LORD will do before your eyes .

¹⁷Isn’t it wheat harvest today ? I will call to the LORD , that he may send thunder and rain ; and you will know and see that your wickedness is great , which you have done in the LORD ’s sight , in asking for a king .”

¹⁸So Samuel called to the LORD , and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day . Then all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel .

¹⁹All the people said to Samuel , “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God , that we not die ; for we have added to all our sins this evil , to ask for a king .”

²⁰Samuel said to the people , “Don’t be afraid . You have indeed done all this evil ; yet don’t turn away from following the LORD , but serve the LORD with all your heart .

²¹Don’t turn away to go after vain things which can ’t profit or deliver , for they are vain .

²²For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name ’s sake , because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself .

²³Moreover , as for me , far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you ; but I will instruct you in the good and the right way .

²⁴Only fear the LORD , and serve him in truth with all your heart ; for consider what great things he has done for you .

²⁵But if you keep doing evil , you will be consumed , both you and your king .”