Samuel’s Farewell Address

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed ⁿyour voice in all that you have said to me ^oand have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king ^pwalks before you, ^qand I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before ^rhis anointed. ^sWhose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me¹ and I will restore it to you.” 4 They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5 And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and ^rhis anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything ^tin my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

6 And Samuel said to the people, ^u“The Lord is witness,² who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

16 Now therefore ^tstand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 ^uIs it not wheat harvest today? ^vI will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that ^wyour wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, ^xand all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 And all the people said to Samuel, ^y“Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may 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, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet ^zdo not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And ^zdo not turn aside after ^aempty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 ^bFor the Lord will not forsake his people, ^cfor his great name’s sake, because ^dit has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing ^eto pray for you, ^fand I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 ^gOnly fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider ^hwhat great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, ⁱyou shall be swept away, ^jboth you and your king.”