¶ And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold,¹ I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made² a king over you.

And now, behold, the king walketh³ before you: and I am old⁴ and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons⁵ are with you: and I have walked⁶ before you from my childhood unto this day.

Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed⁷: whose ox⁸ 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 bribe⁹ to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will¹⁰ restore it you.

¹¹And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand.

And he said unto them, The LORD¹² is witness against you, and his anointed¹³ is witness this day, that ye have¹⁴ not found ought in my hand¹⁵. And they answered, He is witness.

¶ And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD¹⁶ that advanced¹⁷ Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

Now therefore stand still, that I may reason¹⁸ with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts¹⁹ of the LORD, which he did to²⁰ you and to your fathers.

When Jacob²¹ was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried²² unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses²³ and Aaron, which brought²⁴ forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them²⁵ dwell in this place.

And when they forgat²⁶ the LORD their God, he sold²⁷ them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines²⁸, and into the²⁹ hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

¶ And they³⁰ cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim³¹ and Ashtaroth: but now deliver³² us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

And the LORD sent Jerubbaal³³, and Bedan³⁴, and Jephthah³⁵, and Samuel³⁶, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe.

And when ye saw that Nahash³⁷ the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay;³⁸ but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD³⁹ your God was your king.

Now therefore behold⁴⁰ the king whom ye⁴¹ have chosen, and whom ye have desired⁴²! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.

If ye will⁴³ fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment⁴⁴ of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:

But if ye⁴⁵ will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against⁴⁶ the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¶ Now therefore stand⁴⁷ and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

Is it⁴⁸ not wheat harvest to day? I will call⁴⁹ unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness⁵⁰ is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder⁵¹ and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared⁵² the LORD and Samuel.

And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy⁵³ servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

¶ And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not:⁵⁴ ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not⁵⁵ aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things,⁵⁶ which cannot profit⁵⁷ nor deliver; for they are vain.

For the LORD⁵⁸ will not forsake his people for his great⁵⁹ name's sake: because it hath⁶⁰ pleased the LORD to make you his people.

Moreover as for me, God forbid⁶¹ that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing⁶² to pray for you: but I will teach you the good⁶³ and the right way:

Only fear the LORD⁶⁴, and serve him in truth⁶⁵ with all your heart: for consider⁶⁶ how great things⁶⁷ he hath done for you.

But if⁶⁸ ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and⁶⁹ your king.