1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
The Geneva Bible: A Cornerstone of English Protestantism A Testament to Reform The 1599 Geneva Bible... Read More
The historical books of the Hebrew Bible often have sections where great religious leaders make a final speech. This is a summing-up of their lives and often a prophetic warning about the future. Call it “foreshadowing,” if you will, because everyone who hears this story knows that everything Samuel predicts comes true. As long as the people and their king serve only the Lord, they prosper; but if they and their king turn away from that faith, they suffer. As those who read the books of Samuel know, the people of Israel turn away from God; and eventually, great empires come and lay waste to the land.
12 Samuel (to the Israelites): I have listened to your voice and all you have said, and I have given you a king to rule over you. 2 He is now your ruler and will walk before you. I have grown old and gray, but my sons still live among you. I have led you since I was a young man, but those days are over.
3 Here I am. Speak up in front of the Eternal One and in front of His anointed king if you have the same grievances against me as you have against my sons. Have I ever taken an ox from you? A donkey? Have I ever cheated any of you? Threatened any of you? Have any of you given me a bribe to make me change my judgment? [If any of this is true, say so,][a] I will make it right.
Samuel asks his listeners to affirm that he has acted with integrity as their leader. Money has not swayed him, nor has personal emotion; he has done what is good in the sight of God. (Maybe, like Eli before him, his sons are a mess, but that’s another matter.) The people take seriously what he has to say next for two reasons: they trust Samuel, and they fear God.
Today some leaders taint religion by acting as Samuel’s sons did. Their personal greed, desire for political power, or unwillingness to put God first make some think that religion itself is a sham. Faithful leaders can still be found, but Samuel’s example suggests that it’s a good idea to question the actions of our leaders before we let them tell us what they think God wants from us.
People: 4 No, you have never cheated us, you have never threatened us, and you have never taken anything from anyone.
Samuel: 5 Then let the Eternal One, who witnesses against you, and His anointed king, who bears witness today, see that you have found me innocent of any wrongdoing against you.
People: He is our witness.
Samuel: 6 The Eternal One is our witness, the One who first raised Moses and Aaron to be leaders of the people, the One who brought your ancestors here out of the oppression of Egypt. 7 Now stand ready as I will present to you, before the Eternal One, a declaration of all the righteous acts the Eternal has done on behalf of you and your ancestors.
8 When Jacob went down into Egypt, your ancestors cried to the Eternal One for help, and the Eternal raised Moses and Aaron to lead your ancestors out of their bondage and bring them to this land. 9 But once they were here, they forgot the Eternal One, their True God, so He allowed Sisera, the general of the armies of Hazor, and later the Philistines and then the king of Moab to subdue them. So the people had to fight for their survival. 10 Under this heavy oppression, the people cried out to the Eternal, confessing, “We have sinned. We have forsaken the Eternal to serve the local gods.[b] But if You will save us now from the heavy hands of our enemies, we will serve You.” 11 Then the Eternal One raised up Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, who pulled you out of the grasp of your enemies and brought peace from warfare on every side so that you could live in safety. 12 But when you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was arrayed for battle against you, you ran to me, saying, “Give us a king to rule over us,” even though the Eternal One, your True God, has always been your king. 13 So now, look: here is the king you chose, the king for whom you asked. The Eternal has indeed set a king to rule over you.
14 If you will revere and serve the Eternal, if you listen to His voice and do not disobey His commands, then you and this king who rules over you will follow the Eternal One, your True God, and all will go well with you.
15 But if you ignore His voice, if you disobey the commands of the Eternal, then His mighty hand of judgment will be raised against you and against your ancestors.
16 Stand ready, for the Eternal One is going to show you a great sight. 17 It is the wheat harvest now, and is this not the time after the early rains? But I will call upon the Eternal to send thunder and rain so you will realize the depths of your sin before God because you demanded a king to rule over you.
18 Samuel prayed to the Eternal. He sent thunder and rain to pelt the fields that day, and the people were afraid of Him and of Samuel.
People (to Samuel): 19 Pray to the Eternal One your God on behalf of your servants so we will not die for adding to all the weight of our sin the evil of demanding our own king.
Samuel: 20 Don’t be frightened. It is true that you have done evil, but never stop following the Eternal One. Serve Him completely, 21 and do not follow empty things that do not have the power to benefit or save you. They are worthless. 22 For the sake of His reputation, He will not cast away His chosen people. Before you ever chose Him, the Eternal One chose you as His own because it pleased Him.
23 As for me, the last thing I would ever do is to stop praying for you. That would be a sin against the Eternal One on my part. I will always try to teach you to live and act in a way that is good and proper in His eyes. 24 Make this your one purpose: to revere Him and serve Him faithfully with complete devotion because He has done great things for you. 25 But if you continue in your evil ways against Him, you and your king will be swept off the face of the earth.
12 And Samuel saith unto all Israel, `Lo, I have hearkened to your voice, to all that ye said to me, and I cause to reign over you a king, 2 and now, lo, the king is walking habitually before you, and I have become aged and gray-headed, and my sons, lo, they [are] with you, and I have walked habitua...
Read More
12 Forsooth Samuel said to all Israel, Lo! I [have] heard your voice by all things which ye spake to me, and I [have] ordained a king upon you; 2 and now the king goeth before you. And I have waxed eld and hoary; and my sons be with you; also I have lived before you from my young waxing age unto thi...
Read More
12 Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 Now, behold, the king walks before you. I am old and gray-headed. Behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth to this day. 3 Here I am. Witness...
Read More
Samuel Rebukes Israel12 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all you said to me, and have set a king over you. 2 Now here is the king who will go before you, while I am old and gray. Also here are my sons with you. I have gone before you from my youth to this da...
Read More
Samuel’s Farewell Address12 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and gray, and behold, my sons are with you; and I have walked before you from...
Read More
Samuel’s Farewell Address12 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that you have said to me, and have made a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and gray, and behold, my sons are with you; and I have walked before you from...
Read More
Samuel’s Farewell Address12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to you in all that you have said to me, and have set a king over you. 2 See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify agai...
Read More
Samuel’s Farewell Address12 Samuel said to all Israel, ‘I have listened to you in all that you have said to me, and have set a king over you. 2 See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and grey, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify agai...
Read More
Samuel’s Farewell Address12 Samuel said to all Israel, ‘I have listened to you in all that you have said to me, and have set a king over you. 2 See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and grey, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day. 3 Here I am; testify agai...
Read More
Samuel’s Farewell Address12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to you in all that you have said to me and have set a king over you.(A)2 See, it is the king who leads you now; I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day.(B)3 Here I am; testify aga...
Read More
Samuel’s Farewell Address12 Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king. 2 Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you—an old, gray-haired man—and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day. 3 Now testify ...
Read More
Samuel’s Last Words to Israel12 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “See, I have listened to all you have said to me. I have chosen a king to rule over you. 2 Now see, the king walks in front of you. But I am old. My hair is growing white. See, my sons are with you. I have walked in front of you since ...
Read More
Samuel’s Address at Saul’s Coronation12 Now Samuel said to all Israel: “Indeed I have [a]heeded (A)your voice in all that you said to me, and (B)have made a king over you. 2 And now here is the king, (C)walking before you; (D)and I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walke...
Read More
Samuel’s farewell speech12 Samuel said to all Israel, ‘I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. 2 Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and grey, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. 3 Here I stand....
Read More
Samuel’s Farewell Speech12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened(A) to everything you said to me and have set a king(B) over you. 2 Now you have a king as your leader.(C) As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons(D) are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. 3 Her...
Read More
Samuel’s Final Speech to Israel12 Samuel spoke to all the Israelites. He said, “I’ve done everything you asked me to do. I’ve placed a king over you. 2 Now you have a king as your leader. But I’m old. My hair is gray. My sons are here with you. I’ve been your leader from the time I was young until ...
Read More
12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have done[a] everything you requested.[b] I have given you a king.[c] 2 Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day. 3 Here I am. Bring a ...
Read More
Samuel’s Farewell Speech12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have done everything you wanted me to do and have put a king over you. 2 Now you have a king to lead you. I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader since I was young. 3 Here I am. If I have done anything wrong...
Read More
The Geneva Bible: A Cornerstone of English Protestantism A Testament to Reform The 1599 Geneva Bible... Read More
The 21st Century King James Version (KJ21): A Modern Approach to a Classic Text A Balancing Act The ... Read More
The American Standard Version (ASV): A Cornerstone of Modern English Bibles A Product of Scholarly R... Read More
The Amplified Bible (AMP): A Rich and Comprehensive Translation The Amplified Bible (AMP) stands out... Read More
The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC): A Timeless Treasure The Amplified Bible, Classic Editio... Read More
The Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV): A Timeless Classic The Authorized King James Version (AK... Read More
The BRG Bible: A Colorful Approach to Scripture A Unique Visual Experience The BRG Bible, an acronym... Read More
The Christian Standard Bible (CSB): A Balance of Accuracy and Readability The Christian Standard Bib... Read More
The Common English Bible (CEB): A Translation for Everyone The Common English Bible (CEB) is a conte... Read More
The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB): A Jewish Perspective on Scripture The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) i... Read More
The Contemporary English Version (CEV): A Bible for Everyone The Contemporary English Version (CEV),... Read More
The Darby Translation: A Literal Approach to Scripture The Darby Translation, often referred to as t... Read More
The Disciples' Literal New Testament (DLNT): A Window into the Apostolic Mind The Disciples’ Literal... Read More
The Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA): A Cornerstone of English Catholicism The Douay-Rheims ... Read More
The Easy-to-Read Version (ERV): A Bible for Everyone The Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) is a modern Engl... Read More
The English Standard Version (ESV): A Modern Classic The English Standard Version (ESV) is a contemp... Read More
The English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK): A British Accent on Scripture The English Standard ... Read More
The Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV): A Lutheran Perspective The Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV... Read More
The Expanded Bible (EXB): A Study Bible in Text Form The Expanded Bible (EXB) is a unique translatio... Read More
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW): A Modern Approach to Scripture The GOD'S WORD Translation (GW) is a con... Read More
The Good News Translation (GNT): A Bible for Everyone The Good News Translation (GNT), formerly know... Read More
The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB): A Balance of Accuracy and Readability The Holman Christi... Read More
The International Children's Bible (ICB): A Gateway to Faith The International Children's Bible (ICB... Read More
The International Standard Version (ISV): A Modern Approach to Scripture The International Standard ... Read More
The J.B. Phillips New Testament: A Modern Classic The J.B. Phillips New Testament, often referred to... Read More
The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB): A Unique Approach to Translation The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) is a dis... Read More
The King James Version (KJV): A Timeless Classic The King James Version (KJV), also known as the Aut... Read More
The Lexham English Bible (LEB): A Transparent Approach to Translation The Lexham English Bible (LEB)... Read More
The Living Bible (TLB): A Paraphrase for Modern Readers The Living Bible (TLB) is a unique rendering... Read More
The Modern English Version (MEV): A Contemporary Take on Tradition The Modern English Version (MEV) ... Read More
The Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament: A Bridge to the Greek The Mounce Reverse Interlinear N... Read More
The Names of God Bible (NOG): A Unique Approach to Scripture The Names of God Bible (NOG) is a disti... Read More
The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE): A Cornerstone of English Catholicism The New Americ... Read More
The New American Standard Bible (NASB): A Cornerstone of Literal Translations The New American Stand... Read More
The New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995): A Refined Classic The New American Standard Bible 1... Read More
The New Catholic Bible (NCB): A Modern Translation for a New Generation The New Catholic Bible (NCB)... Read More
The New Century Version (NCV): A Bible for Everyone The New Century Version (NCV) is an English tran... Read More
The New English Translation (NET): A Transparent Approach to Scripture The New English Translation (... Read More
The New International Reader's Version (NIRV): A Bible for Everyone The New International Reader's V... Read More
The New International Version - UK (NIVUK): A British Accent on Scripture The New International Vers... Read More
The New International Version (NIV): A Modern Classic The New International Version (NIV) is one of ... Read More
The New King James Version (NKJV): A Modern Update of a Classic The New King James Version (NKJV) is... Read More
The New Life Version (NLV): A Bible for All The New Life Version (NLV) is a unique English translati... Read More
The New Living Translation (NLT): A Modern Approach to Scripture The New Living Translation (NLT) is... Read More
The New Matthew Bible (NMB): A Reformation Revival The New Matthew Bible (NMB) is a unique project t... Read More
The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV): A Modern Classic The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is... Read More
The New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE): A Cornerstone of Modern Catholicism The ... Read More
The New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA): A British Accent on Scripture The New Revised ... Read More
The New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE): A Bridge Between Tradition ... Read More
The New Testament for Everyone (NTE): A Fresh Perspective The New Testament for Everyone (NTE) is a ... Read More
The Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB): A Unique Perspective The Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) is a distincti... Read More
The Revised Geneva Translation (RGT): A Return to the Roots The Revised Geneva Translation (RGT) is ... Read More
The Revised Standard Version (RSV): A Cornerstone of Modern English Bibles The Revised Standard Vers... Read More
The Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE): A Cornerstone of English Catholicism The Revi... Read More
The Message (MSG): A Contemporary Paraphrase The Message, often abbreviated as MSG, is a contemporar... Read More
The Voice: A Fresh Perspective on Scripture The Voice is a contemporary English translation of the B... Read More
The Tree of Life Version (TLV): A Messianic Jewish Perspective The Tree of Life Version (TLV) is a u... Read More
The World English Bible (WEB): A Modern Update on a Classic The World English Bible (WEB) is a conte... Read More
The Worldwide English (WE) New Testament: A Modern Take on a Classic The Worldwide English (WE) New ... Read More
The Wycliffe Bible: A Cornerstone of English Scripture A Revolutionary Translation The Wycliffe Bibl... Read More
Young's Literal Translation (YLT): A Literal Approach to Scripture Young's Literal Translation (YLT)... Read More
Deuteronomy 18 - "And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the LORD has not s... Read More
John 14:26 - "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teac... Read More
(Enlarge) (PDF for Print) (Freely Distributed) Map of the Origin of Nations and Races that were dis... Read More
The Journeys of Abraham (Enlarge) (PDF for Print) - Map of Abraham's Journey with Trade Routes(Free... Read More
(Enlarge) (PDF for Print) (Freely Distributed)Map of the Route of the Hebrews from Egypt This map s... Read More
Mark 6:52 - For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened. God did... Read More
also see:The Encampment of the Children of IsraelThe Children of Israel on the March THE OUTER COURT... Read More
2 Chronicles 36:23 - Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD Go... Read More
All Bible Maps - Complete and growing list of Bible History Online Bible Maps. Old Testament Maps T... Read More
Ancient Manners and Customs, Daily Life, Cultures, Bible Lands NINEVEH was the famous capital of an... Read More
Distances From Jerusalem to: Bethany - 2 milesBethlehem - 6 milesBethphage - 1 mileCaesarea - 57 m... Read More
Dagon was the god of the Philistines. This image shows that the idol was represented in the combina... Read More
Map of Israel in the Time of Jesus (Enlarge) (PDF for Print) (Freely Distributed) Map of First Cent... Read More
The Table of Shewbread (Ex 25:23-30) It was also called the Table of the Presence. Now we will pas... Read More
see also:The PriestThe Consecration of the PriestsThe Priestly Garments The Priestly Garments 'The ... Read More
Introduction to the Book of Daniel in the Bible Daniel 6:15-16 - Then these men assembled unto the k... Read More
The Golden Lampstand was hammered from one piece of gold. Exod 25:31-40 "You shall also make a lam... Read More
The Golden Altar of Incense (Ex 30:1-10) The Golden Altar of Incense was 2 cubits tall.It was 1 cub... Read More
Ancient Tax Collector Illustration of a Tax Collector collecting taxes Tax collectors were very des... Read More
also see: Blood Atonement and The Priests The Five Levitical Offerings The Sacrifices The sacrificia... Read More
Genesis 10:32 - These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nation... Read More
Illustration of Jesus Reading from the Book of Isaiah This sketch contains a colored illustration o... Read More
"But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth s... Read More
also see: The Encampment of the Children of IsraelThe Children of Israel on the March The brazen a... Read More
Unearth the rich tapestry of biblical history with our extensive collection of over 1000 meticulously curated Bible Maps and Images. Enhance your understanding of scripture and embark on a journey through the lands and events of the Bible.
Start Your Journey Today!