I Samuel 12

vayyomer shemu'el el-kol-yisra'el hinneh shamati veqolekhem lekhol asher-amartem li va'amlikh alekhem melekh

Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have yielded to you in all you have asked of me and have set a king over you.

ve'attah hinneh hammelekh mithallekh lifnekhem va'ani zaqanti vasavti uvanay hinnam ittekhem va'ani hithallakhti lifnekhem minne'uray ad-hayyom hazzeh

Henceforth the king will be your leader. “As for me, I have grown old and gray—but my sons are still with you—and I have been your leader from my youth to this day.

hinni anu vi neged Adonai veneged meshikho et-shor mi laqakhti vakhamor mi laqakhti ve'et-mi ashaqti et-mi ratsoti umiyyad-mi laqakhti khofer ve'alim enay bo ve'ashiv lakhem

Here I am! Testify against me, in the presence of GOD and in the presence of this anointed one: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded or whom have I robbed? From whom have I taken a bribe to look the other way? I will return it to you.”

vayyomeru lo ashaqtanu velo ratsotanu velo-laqakhta miyyad-ish me'umah

They responded, “You have not defrauded us, and you have not robbed us, and you have taken nothing from anyone.”

vayyomer alehem ed Adonai bakhem ve'ed meshikho hayyom hazzeh ki lo metsatem beyadi me'umah vayyomer ed

He said to them, “GOD then is witness, and this anointed one is witness, to your admission this day that you have found nothing in my possession.” They responded, “[God is] witness indeed!”

vayyomer shemu'el el-ha'am Adonai asher asah et-mosheh ve'et-aharon va'asher he'elah et-avotekhem me'erets mitsrayim

Samuel said to the people, “GOD [is witness]—who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt.

ve'attah hityatsevu ve'ishafetah ittekhem lifne Adonai et kol-tsidqot Adonai asher-asah ittekhem ve'et-avotekhem

Come, stand before GOD while I cite against you all the kindnesses that GOD has done to you and your ancestors.

ka'asher-ba ya'aqov mitsrayim vayyizaqu avotekhem el-Adonai vayyishlakh Adonai et-mosheh ve'et-aharon vayyotsi'u et-avotekhem mimmitsrayim vayyoshivum bammaqom hazzeh

“When Jacob came to Egypt, … your ancestors cried out to GOD, and GOD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

vayyishkekhu et-Adonai elohehem vayyimkor otam beyad sisera sar-tseva khatsor uveyad-pelishtim uveyad melekh mo'av vayyillakhamu bam

But they forgot the ETERNAL their God; so they were delivered into the hands of Sisera the military commander of Hazor, into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab; and these made war upon them.

vayyizaqu el-Adonai (vymr) [vayyomeru] khatanu ki azavnu et-Adonai vanna'avod et-habbe'alim ve'et-ha'ashtarot ve'attah hatsilenu miyyad oyevenu vena'avdekka

They cried to GOD, ‘We are guilty, for we have forsaken GOD and worshiped the Baalim and Ashtaroth. Oh, deliver us from our enemies and we will serve You.’

vayyishlakh Adonai et-yerubba'al ve'et-bedan ve'et-yiftakh ve'et-shemu'el vayyatsel etkhem miyyad oyevekhem missaviv vatteshevu betakh

And GOD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the enemies around you; and you dwelt in security.

vattiru ki-nakhash melekh bene-ammon ba alekhem vattomeru li lo ki-melekh yimlokh alenu va-Adonai elohekhem malkekhem

But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reigning over us’—though the ETERNAL your God is your King.

ve'attah hinneh hammelekh asher bekhartem asher she'eltem vehinneh natan Adonai alekhem melekh

“Well, GOD has set a king over you! Here is the king that you have chosen, that you have asked for.

im-tire'u et-Adonai va'avadtem oto ushematem beqolo velo tamru et-pi Adonai vihyitem gam-attem vegam-hammelekh asher malakh alekhem akhar Adonai elohekhem

“If you will revere, worship, and obey GOD—and not flout GOD’s command—if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the ETERNAL your God, [well and good].

ve'im-lo tishme'u beqol Adonai umeritem et-pi Adonai vehayetah yad-Adonai bakhem uva'avotekhem

But if you do not obey GOD—and you flout GOD’s command—GOD’s hand will strike you as it did your ancestors.

gam-attah hityatsevu ure'u et-haddavar haggadol hazzeh asher Adonai oseh le'enekhem

“Now stand by and see the marvelous thing that GOD will do before your eyes.

halo qetsir-khittim hayyom eqra el-Adonai veyitten qolot umatar ude'u ure'u ki-ra'atkhem rabbah asher asitem be'ene Adonai lishol lakhem melekh

It is the season of the wheat harvest. I will pray to GOD—who will send thunder and rain; then you will take thought and realize what a wicked thing you did in GOD’s sight when you asked for a king.”

vayyiqra shemu'el el-Adonai vayyitten Adonai qolot umatar bayyom hahu vayyira khol-ha'am me'od et-Adonai ve'et-shemu'el

Samuel prayed to GOD, and GOD sent thunder and rain that day, and the people stood in awe of GOD and of Samuel.

vayyomeru khol-ha'am el-shemu'el hitpallel be'ad-avadekha el-Adonai elohekha ve'al-namut ki-yasafnu al-kol-khattotenu ra'ah lishol lanu melekh

The people all said to Samuel, “Intercede for your servants with the ETERNAL your God that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins the wickedness of asking for a king.”

vayyomer shemu'el el-ha'am al-tira'u attem asitem et kol-hara'ah hazzot akh al-tasuru me'akhare Adonai va'avadtem et-Adonai bekhol-levavkhem

But Samuel said to the people, “Have no fear. You have, indeed, done all those wicked things. Do not, however, turn away from GOD, but serve GOD with all your heart.

velo tasuru ki akhare hattohu asher lo-yo'ilu velo yatsilu ki-tohu hemmah

Do not turn away to follow worthless things, which can neither profit nor save but are worthless.

ki lo-yittosh Adonai et-ammo ba'avur shemo haggadol ki ho'il Adonai la'asot etkhem lo le'am

For the sake of God’s great name, GOD will never abandon this people, seeing that GOD undertook to make you a covenanted people.

gam anokhi khalilah li mekhato la-Adonai mekhadol lehitpallel ba'adkhem vehoreti etkhem bederekh hattovah vehayesharah

“As for me, far be it from me to sin against GOD and refrain from praying for you; and I will continue to instruct you in the practice of what is good and right.

akh yeru et-Adonai va'avadtem oto be'emet bekhol-levavkhem ki re'u et asher-higdil immakhem

Above all, you must revere GOD and serve faithfully with all your heart; and consider how grandly you have been dealt with.

ve'im-harea tare'u gam-attem gam-malkekhem tissafu

For if you persist in your wrongdoing, both you and your king will be swept away.”