| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then Samuel told all Israel, "Take note! I've listened to you, to everything you have told me, and I've appointed a king over you. | 1Then Samuel said to all Israel, "I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you. |
| 2Now here is the king walking before you, while I'm old and gray, and my sons are with you. I've walked before you from my youth until this day. | 2Now you can see that the king is leading you. As for me, I'm old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until today. |
| 3Here I am. Testify against me in the LORD's presence and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken? Who have I cheated? Who have I oppressed? Who bribed me to look the other way? I'll restore it to you." | 3Here I am. Bring charges against me before the LORD and His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged or mistreated? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you." |
| 4They said, "You haven't cheated us or oppressed us, and you haven't taken anything from anyone's hand." | 4"You haven't wronged us, you haven't mistreated us, and you haven't taken anything from anyone's hand," they responded. |
| 5He told them, "Today the LORD is testifying, along with his anointed, that you haven't found any bribes in my possession." They said, "He's a witness." | 5He said to them, "The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today that you haven't found anything in my hand." "He is a witness," they said. |
| 6Then Samuel told the people, "It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up out of the land of Egypt. | 6Then Samuel said to the people, "The LORD, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness. |
| 7Now stand up and I'll pass judgment on you in light of the LORD's righteous acts that he did for you and your ancestors. | 7Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before the LORD about all the righteous acts He has done for you and your ancestors. |
| 8After Jacob went to Egypt, and your ancestors cried out to the LORD, he sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. | 8"When Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD, and He sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place. |
| 9But they forgot the LORD their God, so he handed them over to the domination of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into domination by the Philistines and by the king of Moab, and Israel fought against them. | 9But they forgot the LORD their God, so He handed them over to Sisera commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. These enemies fought against them. |
| 10"Then they cried out to the LORD: 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.' | 10Then they cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned, for we abandoned the LORD and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve You.' |
| 11Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel and he delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely. | 11So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely. |
| 12But when you saw that Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was coming to fight you, you told me, 'No, let a king rule over us instead,' even though the LORD your God was your king. | 12But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, 'No, we must have a king rule over us--even though the LORD your God is your king. |
| 13"Now, here is the king you have chosen, the one whom you asked for. See, the Lord has appointed a king over you. | 13"Now here is the king you've chosen, the one you requested. Look, this is the king the LORD has placed over you. |
| 14If you fear the LORD, serve him, obey him, and don't rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king who rules over you will truly follow the LORD your God. | 14If you fear the LORD, worship and obey Him, and if you don't rebel against the LORD's command, then both you and the king who rules over you will follow the LORD your God. |
| 15But if you don't obey the LORD and rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the LORD will turn against you as he did against your ancestors. | 15However, if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, the LORD's hand will be against you and against your ancestors. |
| 16"Now then, stand up and see this great thing that the LORD is about to do before your eyes. | 16"Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. |
| 17Is it not the wheat harvest today? I'll call upon the LORD, and he will send thunder and rain. Then you will know and understand that you have done a great evil in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king for yourselves." | 17Isn't the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD and He will send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you committed in the LORD's sight by requesting a king for yourselves." |
| 18Samuel called upon the LORD that same day, and the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. | 18Samuel called on the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. |
| 19Then all the people told Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we don't die, because we made all our sins worse by asking for a king for ourselves." | 19They pleaded with Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so we won't die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves." |
| 20Samuel told all the people, "Don't be afraid. You have done all this evil. Yet don't turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. | 20Samuel replied, "Don't be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don't turn away from following the LORD. Instead, worship the LORD with all your heart. |
| 21Don't turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or deliver because they're useless. | 21Don't turn away to follow worthless things that can't profit or deliver you; they are worthless. |
| 22Indeed, the LORD won't abandon His people for the sake of His great name, for the LORD desires to make you a people for himself. | 22The LORD will not abandon His people, because of His great name and because He has determined to make you His own people. |
| 23Now as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. I'll also instruct you in the way that is good and right. | 23"As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. |
| 24Only, fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Indeed, consider what great things he has done for you. | 24Above all, fear the LORD and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you. |
| 25But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away." | 25However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away." |
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