1 Samuel 12:3 “Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anoi…”

1 Samuel 12:3

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.”

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

World English Bible

Here I am. Witness against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”

American Standard Version

Here I am: witness against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

Geneva Bible 1599

Beholde, here I am: beare recorde of me before the Lord and before his Anointed. Whose oxe haue I taken? or whose asse haue I taken? or whome haue I done wrong to? or whome haue I hurt? or of whose hande haue I receiued any bribe, to blinde mine eyes therewith, and I will restore it you?

Darby Translation

Here I am: testify against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I injured? or of whose hand have I received any ransom and blinded mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it to you.

Young's Literal Translation

'Lo, here [am] I; testify against me, over-against Jehovah, and over-against His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose ass have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide mine eyes with it? — and I restore to you.'

Bible in Basic English

Here I am: give witness against me before the Lord and before the man on whom he has put the holy oil: whose ox or ass have I taken? to whom have I been untrue? who has been crushed down by me? from whose hand have I taken a price for the blinding of my eyes? I will give it all back to you.

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Cross references

“his anointed”

1 Samuel 24:6 1 Samuel 12:5 1 Samuel 10:1 Romans 13:1–7 Matthew 22:21 2 Samuel 1:14–16

1 Samuel 24:6 · BSB

So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”

1 Samuel 12:5 · BSB

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.

1 Samuel 10:1 · BSB

Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?

Romans 13:1–7 · BSB

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.

Matthew 22:21 · BSB

“Caesar’s,” they answered. So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

2 Samuel 1:14–16 · BSB

So David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?”

“whose ox”

Acts 20:33 Numbers 16:15 1 Peter 5:2 1 Thessalonians 2:10 1 Thessalonians 2:5 2 Corinthians 12:14

Acts 20:33 · BSB

I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.

Numbers 16:15 · BSB

Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not regard their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.”

1 Peter 5:2 · BSB

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;

1 Thessalonians 2:10 · BSB

You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed.

1 Thessalonians 2:5 · BSB

As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness!

2 Corinthians 12:14 · BSB

See, I am ready to come to you a third time, and I will not be a burden, because I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

“bribe”

Deuteronomy 16:19 Exodus 23:8

Deuteronomy 16:19 · BSB

Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

Exodus 23:8 · BSB

Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

“I will”

Exodus 22:4 Leviticus 6:4 Luke 19:8

Exodus 22:4 · BSB

If what was stolen is actually found alive in his possession—whether ox or donkey or sheep—he must pay back double.

Leviticus 6:4 · BSB

once he has sinned and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost property he found,

Luke 19:8 · BSB

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”

Also

Exodus 20:17

Exodus 20:17 · BSB

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

2Now 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.

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

Read 1 Samuel 12