1 ¶ Then Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have placed a king over you.

2 Now you can see that the king is leading you: I am old and gray headed; and my sons are with you: and I have led you from my childhood to this day.

3 Behold, here I am: bear witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? whose donkey have I taken? whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? from whose hand have I received a bribe to overlook something? and I will return it to you.

4 And they said, You have not defrauded us, or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.

5 Then he said to them, Today the LORD is a witness against you, and his anointed is a witness, that you have found nothing in my hands. And they answered, He is a witness.

6 ¶ And Samuel said to the people, It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron, and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

7 Now present yourselves, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.

8 After Jacob entered Egypt, your fathers cried to the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and settled them in this place.

9 And when they forgot the LORD their God, 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.

10 And they cried to the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.

11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side, and you lived in peace.

12 But when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, No; a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king.

13 Now behold the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have desired! look, this is the king the LORD has set over you.

14 If you will fear the LORD, and serve him, and hear his voice, and not rebel against his commandment, and both you and the king that reigns over you continue following the LORD your God, it will be well:

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

16 ¶ Therefore stand still and see the great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

17 Is not the wheat being harvested today? I will call to the LORD, and he will send thunder and rain; that you may know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking for a king.

18 So Samuel called to the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

19 And all the people said to Samuel, Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we do not die: for we have added to all our sins the evil, of asking for a king.

20 And Samuel said to the people, Do not be afraid: even though you have done all this evil: do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

21 And do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit or deliver you; for they are vain.

22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it has pleased the LORD to make you his people.

23 Moreover as for me, far be it from me to sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and right way:

24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: considering the great things he has done for you.

25 But if you persist in doing evil, you will be consumed, both you and your king.