16. “Now stand still and see the great thing the Lord will do before your eyes.
17. Now is the time of the wheat harvest. I will pray to the Lord and ask him to send thunder and rain. Then you will know you did a very bad thing against the Lord when you asked for a king.”
18. So Samuel prayed to the Lord. That same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. And the people became very afraid of the Lord and Samuel.
19. All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us, your servants. Don’t let us die! We have sinned many times. And now we have added to these sins—we have asked for a king.”
20. 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.
21. Idols are only statues—they can’t help you. So don’t worship them. Idols can’t help you or save you. They are nothing!
22. “But the Lord won’t leave his people. No, the Lord was pleased to make you his own people. So for his own good name, he won’t leave you.
23. And as for me, I would never stop praying for you. If I stopped praying for you, I would be sinning against the Lord. I will continue to teach you the right way to live a good life.
24. But you must honor the Lord. You must serve him sincerely with all your heart. Remember the wonderful things he has done for you.
25. But if you are stubborn and do evil, God will throw you and your king away, like dirt swept out with a broom.”