¹⁶ Even now, ^(A)take your stand and see this great thing which the Lord is going to do before your eyes. ^17 (B)Is it not the wheat harvest today? ^(C)I will call to the Lord, that He will send ^[a]thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that ^(D)your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord, by asking for yourselves a king.” ¹⁸ So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent ^[b]thunder and rain that day; and ^(E)all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

¹⁹ Then all the people said to Samuel, “^(F)Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so that we do not die; for we have added to all our sins ^(G)this evil, by asking for ourselves a king.” ²⁰ Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet ^(H)do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. ²¹ Indeed, you must not turn aside, for then you would go after ^(I)useless things which cannot benefit or save, because they are useless. ²² For ^(J)the Lord will not abandon His people ^(K)on account of His great name, because the Lord ^(L)has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. ²³ Furthermore, as for me, ^(M)far be it from me that I would sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but ^(N)I will instruct you in the good and right way.