10. Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned. We have abandoned the Lord and served other gods and goddesses—the Baals and the Astartes. But rescue us from our enemies now, and we will serve you.’
11. “Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel and rescued you from your enemies on every side so that you could live securely.
12. But when you saw King Nahash of Ammon coming to attack you, you told me, ‘No, a king should rule over us,’ though the Lord your God was your king.
13. “Now, here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for. See, the Lord has put a king over you.
14. If you fear the Lord, serve him, obey him, and don’t rebel against what he says, then you and your king will follow the Lord your God.
15. But if you don’t obey the Lord, if you rebel against what he says, then the Lord will be against you as he was against your ancestors.
16. Now then, stand still and watch this great thing the Lord is going to do right before your eyes.
17. Isn’t the wheat being harvested today? I will call on the Lord, and he’ll send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what a wicked thing you did in the Lord’s presence when you asked for a king.”
18. Then Samuel called on the Lord. That day the Lord sent thunder and rain so that all the people feared the Lord and Samuel very much.
19. All the people pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us so that we will not die. We have added ⌊another⌋ evil thing to all our other sins by asking for a king.”
20. “Don’t be afraid,” Samuel told the people. “You did do all these evil things. But don’t turn away from the Lord. Instead, serve the Lord wholeheartedly.
21. Don’t turn away to follow other gods. They can’t help or rescue you, because they don’t exist.
22. For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not abandon his people, because the Lord wants to make you his people.
23. It would be unthinkable for me to sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I will go on teaching you the way that is good and right.
24. Fear the Lord, and serve him sincerely. Consider the great things he did for you.
25. But if you go on doing what is evil, you and your king will be wiped out.”