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MAY 5

May 5
12:12 when you saw that Nahash king of
the Ammonites came against you. According
1 Samuel 12:1–13:23
to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Josephus, Nahash
Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I was campaigning over a large area.It was that
12 have heeded your voice in all that you Ammonite threat that seemingly provoked
said to me, and have made a king over you. Israel to demand a human king (8:1–20). the
2 And now here is the king, walking before you; LORD your God was your king. The clearest
and I am old and gray headed, and look, my indictment of Israel for choosing a mere man to
sons are with you. I have walked before you fight for her instead of the Lord God (see 8:20).
from my childhood to this day. Here I am.
3
Witness against me before the LORD and before
His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose obey His voice, and do not rebel against the
donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? commandment of the LORD, then both you and
Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand the king who reigns over you will continue fol-
have I received any bribe with which to blind lowing the LORD your God. However, if you do
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my eyes? I will restore it to you.” not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel
4 And they said, “You have not cheated us or against the commandment of the LORD, then
oppressed us, nor have you taken anything the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it
from any man’s hand.” was against your fathers.
5 Then he said to them, “The LORD is witness 16 “Now therefore, stand and see this great
against you, and His anointed is witness this day, thing which the LORD will do before your eyes:
that you have not found anything in my hand.” 17 Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the
And they answered, “He is witness.” LORD, and He will send thunder and rain, that
6 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the you may perceive and see that your wickedness
LORD who raised up Moses and Aaron, and is great, which you have done in the sight of
who brought your fathers up from the land of the LORD, in asking a king for yourselves.”
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Egypt. Now therefore, stand still, that I may 18 So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD
reason with you before the LORD concerning sent thunder and rain that day; and all the peo-
all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did ple greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
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to you and your fathers: When Jacob had 19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray
gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to for your servants to the LORD your God, that
the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and we may not die; for we have added to all our
Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.”
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and made them dwell in this place. And when 20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not
they forgot the LORD their God, He sold them fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do
into the hand of Sisera, commander of the not turn aside from following the LORD, but
army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, serve the LORD with all your heart. And do
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and into the hand of the king of Moab; and not turn aside; for then you would go after
they fought against them. Then they cried empty things which cannot profit or deliver,
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out to the LORD, and said, ‘We have sinned, for they are nothing. For the LORD will not
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because we have forsaken the LORD and forsake His people, for His great name’s sake,
served the Baals and Ashtoreths; but now because it has pleased the LORD to make you
deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and His people. Moreover, as for me, far be it
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we will serve You.’ And the LORD sent from me that I should sin against the LORD in
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Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the
delivered you out of the hand of your enemies good and the right way. Only fear the LORD,
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12
on every side; and you dwelt in safety. And and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for
when you saw that Nahash king of the consider what great things He has done for
Ammonites came against you, you said to me, you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be
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‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the swept away, both you and your king.”
LORD your God was your king. Saul reigned one year; and when he had
13 “Now therefore, here is the king whom 13 reigned two years over Israel, Saul chose
2
you have chosen and whom you have desired. for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two
And take note, the LORD has set a king over thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in
you. If you fear the LORD and serve Him and the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were
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