1 Samuel 12 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Samuel said to all of Israel, "Look — I've done everything you asked. I gave you a king to lead you.

Now you have a king walking ahead of you. As for me, I'm old and gray, and my sons are right here among you. I've been your leader since I was young — right up to today.

Here I am. Bring any accusation against me right now, in front of Yahweh and in front of the one he's chosen as king: Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Who have I cheated? Who have I exploited? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to look the other way? Tell me, and I'll make it right."

They answered, "You've never cheated us. You've never exploited us. You've never taken anything from anyone's hand."

He said to them, "Yahweh is witness against you today, and his chosen king is witness, that you haven't found anything wrong with me." They replied, "He is witness."

Then Samuel said to the people, "Yahweh is the one who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt.

Now take your stand here. I'm going to lay out my case against you before Yahweh — all the just things Yahweh has done for you and your ancestors.

When Jacob went to Egypt and your ancestors cried out to Yahweh, Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron, and they brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this land.

But they forgot Yahweh their God. So he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab, who all fought against them.

Then they cried out to Yahweh and said, 'We've failed — we abandoned Yahweh and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now rescue us from our enemies, and we'll serve you.'

So Yahweh sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and he rescued you from the enemies all around you, and you lived in safety.

But when you saw that Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was coming against you, you said to me, 'No — we want a king to rule over us!' — even though Yahweh your God was your king.

So now — here's the king you chose, the one you asked for. Look: Yahweh has placed a king over you.

If you honor Yahweh and serve him and listen to his voice and don't rebel against what Yahweh commands, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow Yahweh your God — good.

But if you don't listen to Yahweh's voice and you rebel against what he commands, then Yahweh's hand will be against you, just as it was against your ancestors.

Now stand here and watch this incredible thing Yahweh is about to do right in front of your eyes.

Isn't it wheat harvest right now? I'm going to call on Yahweh, and he'll send thunder and rain. Then you'll understand and see how terrible it was in Yahweh's eyes — what you did when you asked for a king."

Samuel called on Yahweh, and that same day Yahweh sent thunder and rain. All the people were terrified of Yahweh and of Samuel.

All the people said to Samuel, "Pray to Yahweh your God for us — your servants — so we don't die! Because on top of all our other failures, we've added this wrong: asking for a king."

Samuel said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Yes, you've done all this wrong. But don't turn away from following Yahweh. Serve Yahweh with everything you have.

Don't turn away to chase after empty things that can't help you or rescue you — because they're nothing.

Yahweh will not abandon his people, because of his great reputation — because it pleased Yahweh to make you his own people.

As for me — I would never fail Yahweh by stopping my prayers for you. I'll keep teaching you the good and right path.

Just honor Yahweh and serve him faithfully with everything you have. Think about the incredible things he's done for you.

But if you keep doing wrong, both you and your king will be swept away."