1 Samuel 12:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

NIV: "Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

NASB: Samuel 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.

CSB: Samuel replied, "Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord. Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart.

NLT: Don’t be afraid,' Samuel reassured them. 'You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him.

KJV: And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;

NKJV: Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

First Samuel 12:20–25 concludes Samuel's speech declaring his transition out of the role of judge. Although the nation now has a king, their basic obligations towards the Lord have not changed. Samuel will still pray and teach the people—becoming the nation's last judge (Judges 2:16–19) and its first national prophet. Samuel warns that the people risk disaster if the nation fails to follow God.

Samuel gives a speech to the gathered people of Israel, including Saul, the new king. This marks the end of his time as judge over Israel (Judges 2:16–19). He establishes a legal declaration that he is innocent of any corruption. After summarizing God's faithfulness to Israel, Samuel demonstrates that it was wrong of the people to ask for a human king. Yet he assures them of the Lord's faithfulness. He tells them to follow the Lord or be swept away along with their king. Samuel also affirms that he will continue to pray for the people and instruct them in the ways of God.

Samuel was the last of Israel's "judges" who served when Israel came into Canaan (Judges 2:16–19). Here, he transitions into his role as the first of Israel's national prophets. This chapter is his speech explaining this change. The speech may or may not have been given at the sacrificial celebration at Gilgal to renew the kingship of Saul, which is described at the end of the previous chapter (1 Samuel 11:14–15). Though Samuel will continue to serve as the Lord's prophet in Israel, he will no longer be the main political leader and judge. Saul's early decisions as king become the focus of the following chapters (1 Samuel 13—15).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.