1 Samuel 12:20

THE MESSAGE

Samuel said to them, "Don't be fearful. It's true that you have done something very wrong. All the same, don't turn your back on God . Worship and serve him heart and soul! Don't chase after ghost-gods. There's nothing to them. They can't help you. They're nothing but ghost-gods! God , simply because of who he is, is not going to walk off and leave his people. God took delight in making you into his very own people.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
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.

Hebrew Names Version
Shemu'el said to the people, "Don't be afraid; you have indeed done all this evil; yet don't turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart:

King James Version
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;

Lexham English Bible
And Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear! You have done all this evil; only do not turn aside from following Yahweh. But you must serve Yahweh with all your heart.

English Standard Version
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.

New Century Version
Samuel answered, "Don't be afraid. It's true that you did wrong, but don't turn away from the Lord . Serve the Lord with all your heart.

New English Translation
Then Samuel said to the people, "Don't be afraid. You have indeed sinned. However, don't turn aside from the Lord . Serve the Lord with all your heart.

Amplified Bible
Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid. You have [indeed] done all this evil; yet do not turn away from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

New American Standard Bible
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.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Samuel said vnto the people, Feare not. (ye haue in deede done all this wickednesse, yet dpeart not from following the Lorde, but serue the Lord with all your heart,

Legacy Standard Bible
And Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart.

Contemporary English Version
Samuel answered: Even though what you did was wrong, you don't need to be afraid. But you must always follow the Lord and worship him with all your heart.

Complete Jewish Bible
Sh'mu'el answered the people, "Don't be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet now, just don't turn away from following Adonai ; but serve Adonai with all your heart.

Darby Translation
And Samuel said to the people, Fear not: *ye* have done all this wickedness; yet turn not aside from following Jehovah, and serve Jehovah with all your heart;

Easy-to-Read Version
Samuel answered, "Don't be afraid. It is true that you did all these bad things, but don't stop following the Lord . Serve the Lord with all your heart.

George Lamsa Translation
And Samuel said to the people, Fear not; you have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve him with all your heart;

Good News Translation
"Don't be afraid," Samuel answered. "Even though you have done such an evil thing, do not turn away from the Lord , but serve him with all your heart.

Literal Translation
And Samuel said to the people, Do not fear. You have done all this evil, only do not turn aside from following Jehovah, and serve Jehovah with all your heart.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Samuel sayde vnto the people: Feare not, ye haue done all this euell in dede. Neuertheles departe not backe from the LORDE, but serue the LORDE with all youre hert,

American Standard Version
And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have indeed done all this evil; yet turn not aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart:

Bible in Basic English
Then Samuel said to the people, Have no fear: truly you have done evil, but do not be turned away from the Lord; be his servants with all your heart;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Samuel sayde vnto the people, feare not (Ye haue in deede done al this wickednesse, yet depart not from folowing of the Lorde, but serue the Lorde with all your heartes:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Samuel said unto the people: 'Fear not; ye have indeed done all this evil; yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

King James Version (1611)
And Samuel saide vnto the people, Feare not: (ye haue done al this wickednesse, yet turne not aside from following the Lord, but serue the Lord with all your heart:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Samuel said to the people, Fear not: ye have indeed wrought all this iniquity; only turn not from following the Lord, and serve the Lord with all your heart.

English Revised Version
And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have indeed done all this evil: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

Berean Standard Bible
"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.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Samuel seide to the puple, `Nyle ye drede; ye han do al this yuel; netheles `nyle ye go awey fro the bak of the Lord, but serue ye the Lord in al youre herte;

Young's Literal Translation
And Samuel saith unto the people, `Fear not; ye have done all this evil; only, turn not aside from after Jehovah -- and ye have served Jehovah with all your heart,

Update Bible Version
And Samuel said to the people, Don't be afraid; you have indeed done all this evil; yet don't turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart:

Webster's Bible Translation
And Samuel said to 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;

World English Bible
Samuel said to the people, "Don't be afraid; you have indeed done all this evil; yet don't turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart:

New King James Version
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.

New Living Translation
"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.

New Life Bible
Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid. You have done all these sins. But do not turn aside from following the Lord. Worship the Lord with all your heart.

New Revised Standard
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;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Samuel unto the people - Do not fear, ye, have done all this wrong, - nevertheless, do not turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh, with all your heart;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Samuel said to the people: Fear not, you have done all this evil: but yet depart not from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

Revised Standard Version
And Samuel said to the people, "Fear not; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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.

Contextual Overview

¹⁶"Pay attention! Watch this wonder that God is going to perform before you now! It's summer, as you well know, and the rainy season is over. But I'm going to pray to God . He'll send thunder and rain, a sign to convince you of the great wrong you have done to God by asking for a king." ¹⁸ Samuel prayed to God , and God sent thunder and rain that same day. The people were greatly afraid and in awe of God and of Samuel. ¹⁹ Then all the people begged Samuel, "Pray to your God for us, your servants. Pray that we won't die! On top of all our other sins, we've piled on one more—asking for a king!" ²⁰Samuel said to them, "Don't be fearful. It's true that you have done something very wrong. All the same, don't turn your back on God . Worship and serve him heart and soul! Don't chase after ghost-gods. There's nothing to them. They can't help you. They're nothing but ghost-gods! God , simply because of who he is, is not going to walk off and leave his people. God took delight in making you into his very own people. ²³"And neither will I walk off and leave you. That would be a sin against God ! I'm staying right here at my post praying for you and teaching you the good and right way to live. But I beg of you, fear God and worship him honestly and heartily. You've seen how greatly he has worked among you! Be warned: If you live badly, both you and your king will be thrown out."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Fear not: Exodus 20:19, Exodus 20:20, 1 Peter 3:16

turn not: Deuteronomy 11:16, Deuteronomy 31:29, Joshua 23:6, Psalms 40:4, Psalms 101:3, Psalms 125:5, Jeremiah 3:1

Reciprocal: Exodus 23:25 - And ye Exodus 32:30 - Ye have Numbers 21:7 - And Moses Joshua 22:5 - serve Joshua 22:18 - following 2 Samuel 9:7 - Fear not 1 Kings 22:43 - he turned Song of Solomon 1:7 - for Luke 19:21 - I feared John 21:19 - Follow

Cross-References

Genesis 12:14
When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians took one look and saw that his wife was stunningly beautiful. Pharaoh's princes raved over her to Pharaoh. She was taken to live with Pharaoh.

Proverbs 21:1
Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God ; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Samuel said unto the people, fear not,.... Being destroyed by the tempest:

ye have done all this wickedness; in asking a king; that is, though they were guilty of so heinous a sin, yet there were grace and mercy with God, and they should not despair of it, so be it that they did not depart from him, but cordially served him; the Targum is,

"ye have been the cause of all this evil;''

the storm of thunder and rain; and though they had, he would not have them despond or indulge slavish fear;

yet turn not aside from following the Lord; the worship of the Lord, as the Targum; provided they did not depart from the Lord, and forsake his worship, word, and ordinances, they need not fear utter ruin and destruction, though they had been guilty of this sin:

but serve the Lord with all your heart; if their service of God was kept up, and was hearty and sincere, they might still expect things would go well with them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 12:20. Ye have done all this wickedness — That is, although ye have done all this wickedness: what was past God would pass by, provided they would be obedient in future.