rd

1 Samuel 12

1 Samuél declaring to the people his integritie, reproueth their ingratitude. 19 God by miracle cauſeth the people to confeſſe their ſinne. 20 Samuél exhorteth the people to followe the Lord.
1.SAmuél then ſaid vnto all Iſraél, Beholde, I haue a hearkened vnto your voyce in all that ye ſaid vnto me, & haue appointed a King ouer you.
2.Now therefore beholde, your King walketh b before you, and I am olde & graye headed, and beholde, my ſonnes are with you: and I haue walked before you from my childehode vnto this day.
3.Beholde, here I am: * beare recorde of me before the Lord and before his Anointed. c Whoſe oxe haue I taken? or whoſe aſſe haue I taken? or whome haue I done wrõg to? or whome haue I hurted? or of whoſe hand haue I receiued any bribe, to blinde mine eies therwith, & I wil reſtore it you?
4.Then thei ſaid, Thou haſt done vs no wrong, nor haſt hurt vs, neither haſt thou taken oght of any mans hand.
5.And he ſaid vnto them, The Lord is witnes againſt you, and his d Anointed is witnes this day, that ye haue foũd noght in mine hands. And they anſwered, He is witnes
6.Then Samuél ſaid vnto the people, It is the Lord that " made Moſés and Aaráon, & that broght your fathers out of the land of Egypt.
7.Now therefore ſtand ſtil, that I may reaſon with you before the Lord according to all yͤ " righteousnes of the Lord, which he ſhewed to you and to your fathers.
8.* After yͤ Iaakób was come into Egypt, and your fathers cryed vnto the Lord, then yͤ Lord * ſent Moſés and Aarón which broght your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwel in this place.
9.* And when thei forgate the Lord their God, he ſolde them into the hand of Si-ſerá e captaine of the hoſte of Hazór and into the hand of the Philiſtíms, and into the hand of the King of Moáb, and they foght againſt them.
10.And thei cryed vnto the Lord, and ſaid, We haue ſinned, becauſe we haue forſakẽ the Lord, and haue ſerued Baalím & Aſhtaróth. Now therefore deliuer vs out of the
11.Therefore the Lord ſent * Ierubbáal f & Bedan & * Iphtáh, & * Samuél, & deliuered you out of the hands of your enemies on euerie ſide, and ye dwelled ſafe.
12.Notwithſtanding when you ſawe, that Naháſh the King of the children of Ammón came againſt you, ye ſaid vnto me, g No, but a King ſhal reigne ouer vs: whé yet the Lord your God was your King.
13.Now therefore beholde y King whome ye haue choſen and whome ye haue deſired: lo therefore, y Lord hathe ſet a King ouer you.
14.If ye wil feare the Lord and ſerue him, and heare his voyce, and not diſobey the worde of the Lord, bothe ye, & the King that reigneth ouer you, ſhal h followe the Lord your God.
15.But if ye wil not obey the voyce of the Lord, but diſobey the Lords mouth, then ſhal the hand of the Lord be vpon you, & on your i fathers.
16.Now alſo ſtand and ſe this great thing which the Lord wil do before your eyes.
17.Is it not nowe wheate harueſt? I will call vnto the Lord, and he ſhal ſend thundre and raine, that ye may perceiue and ſe, how that your wickednes is k great, which ye haue done in the ſight of the Lord in aſking you a King.
18.Then Samuél called vnto the Lord, and the Lord ſent thundre and raine the ſame day: and all the people feared the Lord & Samuél excedingly.
19.And all the people ſaid vnto Samuél, Pray for thy ſeruants vnto the Lord thy God, that we dye not: for we haue ſinned in aſking vs a King, beſide l all our other ſinnes.
20.¶ And Samuél ſaid vnto y people, Feare not. (ye haue in dede done all this wickednes, m yet departe not from following the Lord, but ſerue y Lord with all your heart,
21.Nether turne ye backe: for that ſhulde be after vaine things which can not profit you, nor deliuer you, for they are but vanitie)
22.For the Lord wil not forſake his people for his great Names ſake: becauſe it hathe pleaſed y Lord to make you n his people.
23.Moreouer God forbid, that I ſhulde ſinne againſt the Lord, and ceaſe praying for you, but I wil ſh we you the good and right way.
24.Therefore feare you the Lord, and ſerue him in the trueth with all your o hearts, and conſider how great things he hathe done for you.
25.But if ye do wickedly, ye ſhal periſh, bothe ye, and your King.

Notes

1:a.
I haue graunted your peticion
2:b.
To gouerne you in peace & warre
3:*.
Eccleſ 46,22.
3:c.
God wolde that this confeſsion ſhulde be a paterne for all them yͤ are in yͤ charge or office.
5:d.
Ment King, who is anointed by the cõmandement of the Lord.
6:".
Or, exalted.
7:".
Or, benefites.
8:*.
Gen. 46.5.
8:*.
Exod 4.16.
9:*.
Iudg. 4.2.
9:e.
Capitaine of Iabins hoſte King of Hazór.
11:*.
Iudg 7,32.
11:f.
That is, Samſon, Iudg. 13.25
11:*.
Iudg 11,1.
11:*.
Chap 4,1.
12:g.
Leauing God to ſeke helpe of man, Chap 8.5.
14:h.
Ye ſhal be preſerued as they y follow the Lords wil
15:i.
Meaning, the gouernours.
17:k.
In that ye haue forſaken him, who hath all power in his hand, for a mortale man
19:l.
Not onely at other times, but now chieſely
20:m.
He ſheweth that there is no ſinne ſo great, but it ſhalbe forgiuen, if the ſinner turne againe to God.
22:n.
Of his fre mercie, & not of your merites, and therefore he wil not forſake you:
24:o.
Vnfainedly and without hypocriſie.