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¹ And Samuel said to all Israel, Look, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.² And now, see, the king walks before you; and I am old and grayheaded; and, see, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth to this day.³ Here I am: witness against me before Yahweh, 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 of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind my eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.⁴ And they said, You haven't defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything of any man's hand.⁵ And he said to them, Yahweh 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.

⁶ And Samuel said to the people, It is Yahweh that appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.⁷ Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before Yahweh concerning all the righteous acts of Yahweh, which he did to you and to your fathers.⁸ When Jacob came into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Yahweh, then Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.⁹ But they forgot Yahweh 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.¹⁰ And they cried to Yahweh, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahweh, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.¹¹ And Yahweh 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.¹² And when you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us; when Yahweh your God was your king.¹³ Now therefore here is the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for: and see that Yahweh has set a king over you.¹⁴ If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, and both you and also the king that reigns over you are followers of Yahweh your God, [well]:¹⁵ but if you will not listen to the voice of Yahweh, but rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, then will the hand of Yahweh be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶ Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Yahweh will do before your eyes.¹⁷ Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to Yahweh, 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 Yahweh, in asking for yourselves a king.¹⁸ So Samuel called to Yahweh; and Yahweh sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel.¹⁹ And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for your slaves to Yahweh your God, that we will not die; for we have added to all our sins [this] evil, to ask for ourselves a king.²⁰ And Samuel said to the people, Don't be afraid; you have indeed done all this evil; yet don't turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart:²¹ and don't turn aside; for [then would you go] after vain things which can't profit nor deliver, for they are vain.²² For Yahweh will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it has pleased Yahweh to make you a people to himself.²³ Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.²⁴ Only fear Yahweh, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.²⁵ But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king.