Capítulo 12

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

¹撒母耳對以色列眾人說：你們向我所求的，我已應允了，為你們立了一個王；

²'Now, here is the king walking before you, but I am old and gray, and behold my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth even to this day.

²現在有這王在你們前面行。我已年老髮白，我的兒子都在你們這裡。我從幼年直到今日都在你們前面行。

³'Here I am; bear witness against me before the LORD and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore [it] to you.'

³我在這裡，你們要在耶和華和他的受膏者面前給我作見證。我奪過誰的牛，搶過誰的驢，欺負過誰，虐待過誰，從誰手裡受過賄賂因而眼瞎呢？若有，我必償還。

⁴They said, 'You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand.'

⁴眾人說：你未曾欺負我們，虐待我們，也未曾從誰手裡受過甚麼。

⁵He said to them, 'The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have found nothing in my hand.' And they said, '[He is] witness.'

⁵撒母耳對他們說：你們在我手裡沒有找著甚麼，有耶和華和他的受膏者今日為證。他們說：願他為證。

⁶Then Samuel said to the people, 'It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.

⁶撒母耳對百姓說：從前立摩西、亞倫，又領你們列祖出埃及地的是耶和華。

⁷'So now, take your stand, that I may plead with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did for you and your fathers.

⁷現在你們要站住，等我在耶和華面前對你們講論耶和華向你們和你們列祖所行一切公義的事。

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

⁸從前雅各到了埃及，後來你們列祖呼求耶和華，耶和華就差遣摩西、亞倫領你們列祖出埃及，使他們在這地方居住。

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

⁹他們卻忘記耶和華─他們的神，他就把他們付與夏瑣將軍西西拉的手裡，和非利士人並摩押王的手裡。於是這些人常來攻擊他們。

¹⁰'They cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.'

¹⁰他們就呼求耶和華說：我們離棄耶和華，事奉巴力和亞斯他錄，是有罪了。現在求你救我們脫離仇敵的手，我們必事奉你。

¹¹'Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, so that you lived in security.

¹¹耶和華就差遣耶路巴力、比但、耶弗他、撒母耳救你們脫離四圍仇敵的手，你們才安然居住。

¹²'When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' although the LORD your God [was] your king.

¹²你們見亞捫人的王拿轄來攻擊你們，就對我說：我們定要一個王治理我們。其實耶和華─你們的神是你們的王。

¹³'Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the LORD has set a king over you.

¹³現在，你們所求所選的王在這裡。看哪，耶和華已經為你們立王了。

¹⁴'If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God.

¹⁴你們若敬畏耶和華，事奉他，聽從他的話，不違背他的命令，你們和治理你們的王也都順從耶和華─你們的神就好了。

¹⁵'If you will not listen to the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the command of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, [as it was] against your fathers.

¹⁵倘若不聽從耶和華的話，違背他的命令，耶和華的手必攻擊你們，像從前攻擊你們列祖一樣。

¹⁶'Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes.

¹⁶現在你們要站住，看耶和華在你們眼前要行一件大事。

¹⁷'Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the LORD by asking for yourselves a king.'

¹⁷這不是割麥子的時候麼？我求告耶和華，他必打雷降雨，使你們又知道又看出，你們求立王的事是在耶和華面前犯大罪了。

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

¹⁸於是撒母耳求告耶和華，耶和華就在這日打雷降雨，眾民便甚懼怕耶和華和撒母耳。

¹⁹Then all the people said to Samuel, 'Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, so that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins [this] evil by asking for ourselves a king.'

¹⁹眾民對撒母耳說：求你為僕人們禱告耶和華─你的神，免得我們死亡，因為我們求立王的事正是罪上加罪了。

²⁰Samuel said to the people, 'Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

²⁰撒母耳對百姓說：不要懼怕！你們雖然行了這惡，卻不要偏離耶和華，只要盡心事奉他。

²¹'You must not turn aside, for [then you would go] after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile.

²¹若偏離耶和華去順從那不能救人的虛神是無益的。

²²'For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.

²²耶和華既喜悅選你們作他的子民，就必因他的大名不撇棄你們。

²³'Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.

²³至於我，斷不停止為你們禱告，以致得罪耶和華。我必以善道正路指教你們。

²⁴'Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

²⁴只要你們敬畏耶和華，誠誠實實地盡心事奉他，想念他向你們所行的事何等大。

²⁵'But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.'

²⁵你們若仍然作惡，你們和你們的王必一同滅亡。