1And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. 2And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. 3Behold, here I am: witness against me before יהוה, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. 4And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand. 5And he said unto them, יהוה is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. 6And Samuel said unto the people, It is יהוה that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before יהוה of all the righteous acts of יהוה, which he did to you and to your fathers. 8When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto יהוה, then יהוה sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. 9And when they forgat יהוה their Elohim, 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. 10And they cried unto יהוה, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken יהוה, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. 11And יהוה sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. 12And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when יהוה your Elohim was your king. 13Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, יהוה hath set a king over you. 14If ye will fear יהוה, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of יהוה, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following יהוה your Elohim: 15But if ye will not obey the voice of יהוה, but rebel against the commandment of יהוה, then shall the hand of יהוה be against you, as it was against your fathers. 16Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which יהוה will do before your eyes. 17Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto יהוה, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of יהוה, in asking you a king. 18So Samuel called unto יהוה; and יהוה sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared יהוה and Samuel. 19And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto יהוה thy Elohim, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. 20And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following יהוה, but serve יהוה with all your heart; 21And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. 22For יהוה will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased יהוה to make you his people. 23Moreover as for me, Elohim forbid that I should sin against יהוה in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 24Only fear יהוה, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. 25But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.