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1 Samuel 12:13-25
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
1 Samuel 12:13-25
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Warnings for People and King. 13 “Now here is the king you chose. See! The Lord has given you a king.(A) 14 If you fear and serve the Lord, if you listen to the voice of the Lord and do not rebel against the Lord’s command, if both you and the king, who rules over you, follow the Lord your God—well and good. 15 But if you do not listen to the voice of the Lord and if you rebel against the Lord’s command, the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. 16 Now then, stand ready to witness the great marvel the Lord is about to accomplish before your eyes. 17 Are we not in the harvest time for wheat?[a] Yet I will call upon the Lord, and he will send thunder and rain. Thus you will see and understand how great an evil it is in the eyes of the Lord that you have asked for a king.”(B) 18 Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day.
Assistance Promised. Then all the people feared the Lord and Samuel. 19 They said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us, your servants, that we may not die for having added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.” 20 “Do not fear,” Samuel answered them. “You have indeed committed all this evil! Yet do not turn from the Lord, but serve him with your whole heart. 21 Do not turn aside to gods who are nothing,[b] who cannot act and deliver. They are nothing.(C) 22 For the sake of his own great name[c] the Lord will not abandon his people, since the Lord has decided to make you his people.(D) 23 As for me, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you and to teach you the good and right way.(E) 24 But you must fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart, for you have seen the great things the Lord has done among you. 25 If instead you continue to do evil, both you and your king shall be swept away.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 12:17 Harvest time for wheat: in May–June. Since this is a period of little or no rainfall in Israel, the people will not mistake the sign for a natural phenomenon.
- 12:21 Gods who are nothing: Hebrew tohu, lit., “emptiness,” cf. Gn 1:2 (…webohu); here, idols without power or substance, as in Is 41:29.
- 12:22 His own great name: were the Lord to abandon his people, even if they abandon him, he would diminish his stature or reputation in the divine council or among the nations (e.g., Ez 20:9). Throughout the Old Testament the Lord is encouraged to deliver Israel, despite its evil, “for the sake of his name.”
1 Samuel 12:13-25
New International Version
1 Samuel 12:13-25
New International Version
13 Now here is the king(A) you have chosen, the one you asked(B) for; see, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you fear(C) the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel(D) against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! 15 But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against(E) his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.
16 “Now then, stand still(F) and see(G) this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! 17 Is it not wheat harvest(H) now? I will call(I) on the Lord to send thunder(J) and rain.(K) And you will realize what an evil(L) thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”
18 Then Samuel called on the Lord,(M) and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe(N) of the Lord and of Samuel.
19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray(O) to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die,(P) for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”
20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil;(Q) yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless(R) idols.(S) They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake(T) of his great name(U) the Lord will not reject(V) his people, because the Lord was pleased to make(W) you his own. 23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray(X) for you. And I will teach(Y) you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear(Z) the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart;(AA) consider(AB) what great(AC) things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist(AD) in doing evil, both you and your king(AE) will perish.”(AF)
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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