10. "So the people cried out to the Lord. They said, 'We have sinned. We've deserted the Lord. We've served the gods that are named after Baal. We've served the goddesses that are named after Ashtoreth. But save us now from the powerful hands of our enemies. Then we will serve you.'
11. "The Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and me. He saved you from the hands of your enemies, who were all around you. So you lived in safety.
12. "But then you saw that Nahash, the king of Ammon, was about to attack you. So you said to me, 'No! We want a king to rule over us.' You said it even though the Lord your God was your king.
13. Now here is the king you have chosen. He's the one you asked for. The Lord has placed a king over you.
14. "But you must have respect for the Lord. You must serve him and obey him. You must not say no to his commands. Both you and the king who rules over you must follow the Lord your God. If you do, that's good.
15. But you must not disobey him. You must not say no to his commands. If you do, his powerful hand will punish you. That's what happened to your people who lived before you.
16. "So stand still. Watch the great thing the Lord is about to do right here in front of you!
17. It's time to gather in the wheat, isn't it? I'll call out to the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what an evil thing you did in the sight of the Lord. You shouldn't have asked for a king."
18. Samuel called out to the Lord. That same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all of the people had great respect for the Lord and for Samuel.
19. They said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for us. Pray that we won't die because we asked for a king. That was an evil thing to do. We added it to all of our other sins."
20. "Don't be afraid," Samuel replied. "It's true that you have done all of those evil things. But don't turn away from the Lord. Serve him with all your heart.
21. "Don't turn away and worship statues of gods. They are useless. They can't do you any good. They can't save you either. They are completely useless.
22. "But the Lord will be true to his great name. He won't turn his back on his people. That's because he was pleased to make you his own people.
23. "I would never sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I'll teach you to live in a way that is good and right.
24. "But be sure to have respect for the Lord. Serve him faithfully. Do it with all your heart. Think about the great things he has done for you.