1 Samuel 12

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

1 撒母耳对以色列人说：“看啊，我已照你们的要求为你们立了一个王。

2 Now here is the king walking before you, and I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.

2 你们已经有君王了。我自幼带领你们，现在已年老发白，我的儿子也都在你们这里。

3 Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.”

3 如今我站在这里，你们只管在耶和华和祂膏立的王面前为我作证，我夺过谁的牛？抢过谁的驴？欺骗过谁？压迫过谁？收过谁的贿赂而徇私枉法？如果有的话，我一定偿还。”

4 “You have not cheated us or oppressed us,” they replied, “nor have you taken anything from the hand of man.”

4 他们答道：“你没有欺骗、压迫过我们，也没有拿过任何人的东西。”

5 Samuel said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness today, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they replied.

5 撒母耳对他们说：“耶和华和祂所膏立的王今天为我作证，我没有拿过你们任何人的东西。”他们说：“是的，耶和华为证。”

6 Then Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is the One who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

6 撒母耳继续说：“是耶和华派摩西和亚伦带领你们的祖先离开埃及。

7 Now present yourselves, so that I may confront you before the LORD with all the righteous acts He has done for you and your fathers.

7 现在，你们都要站在耶和华面前，让我来提醒你们有关耶和华为你们和你们祖先所行的一切公义之事。

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

8 从前，雅各曾迁到埃及，你们的祖先受到埃及人的压迫，向耶和华呼求，耶和华就差遣摩西和亚伦带他们出埃及，到这里居住。

9 But they forgot the LORD their God, and He sold them into the hand of Sisera the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them.

9 他们却忘记了他们的上帝耶和华，于是耶和华让他们落入夏琐的将军西西拉、非利士人和摩押王的手中，这些人便攻击他们。

10 Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and Ashtoreths. Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve You.’

10 他们就向耶和华呼求，‘耶和华啊，我们犯了罪，我们背弃了你去供奉巴力和亚斯她录，现在求你从仇敌手中救我们，我们必事奉你。’

11 So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt securely.

11 耶和华就派耶路·巴力、比但、耶弗他和撒母耳 从周围的敌人手中救你们，使你们安然居住。

12 But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king.

12 可是你们看到亚扪王拿辖来攻击你们，就对我说，‘不行，我们要有一个王来统治我们。’其实你们的上帝耶和华就是你们的王。

13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you requested. Behold, the LORD has placed a king over you.

13 现在，你们所求所选的王在这里，耶和华为你们立了一位王。

14 If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and if you do not rebel against the command of the LORD, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God, then all will be well.

14 如果你们敬畏耶和华，事奉祂，听从祂的吩咐，不违背祂的命令，你们和统治你们的王都愿意跟从祂，一切都会顺利。

15 But if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers.

15 如果你们不听从耶和华的话，违背祂的命令，祂就会像从前惩罚你们的祖先一样出手惩罚你们。

16 Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes.

16 现在你们站着留心看，耶和华就要在你们面前行一件大事。

17 Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king.”

17 你们都知道收割麦子的时候不会下雨。现在，我要向耶和华祷告，求祂打雷降雨，好让你们知道，你们要求立王在耶和华眼中是多么大的罪。”

18 So Samuel called to the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

18 于是，撒母耳向耶和华呼求，耶和华便在当天打雷降雨，民众非常害怕耶和华和撒母耳。

19 They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king.”

19 他们求撒母耳，说：“求你为仆人们向你的上帝耶和华祈祷，免得我们死亡！因为我们要求立王是罪上加罪。”

20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have committed all this evil, do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

20 撒母耳说：“不要害怕，你们虽然做了这恶事，但不可离开耶和华，要全心全意地事奉祂。

21 Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit you or deliver you, for they are empty.

21 不要去追求其他虚无的假神，它们对你们毫无益处，也不能拯救你们。

22 Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.

22 耶和华不会丢弃祂的子民，使自己的大名受损，祂乐意使你们做祂的子民。

23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.

23 至于我，我会不断地为你们祈祷，免得我得罪耶和华。我会教导你们行善道、走正路。

24 Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.

24 你们要单单敬畏耶和华，全心全意地事奉祂，想想祂为你们做了何等伟大的事。

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

25 可是，如果你们仍然继续行恶，你们和你们的王都必灭亡。”