"Behold," he said, "I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and gray- headed; . . . and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. 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." With one voice the people answered, "Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand."

Se, sagde han, jeg har føjet Eder i alt, hvad I har bedt mig om, og sat en konge over Eder. Se, nu færdes kongen for Eders ansigt; jeg er gammel og grå; ..... men jeg har færdedes for Eders ansigt fra min ungdom indtil i dag. Se, her står jeg; vendt imod mig i Herrens og hans Salvedes påhør! Hvis okse har jeg taget? Hvis æsel har jeg taget? Hvem har jeg undertrykt? Hvem har jeg gjort uret? Af hvem har jeg taget gave og derfor lukket øjnene? I så fald vil jeg give Eder erstatning! Med een røst svarede folket: Du har ikke undertrykt os eller gjort os uret eller taget noget fra nogen.