1 Samuel 12:13-25

English Standard Version

¹³And now ^(A)behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, ^(B)the Lord has set a king over you. ¹⁴If you will ^(C)fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. ¹⁵But ^(D)if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then ^(E)the hand of the Lord will be against you and ^(F)your king.^[a] ¹⁶Now therefore ^(G)stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. ¹⁷^(H)Is it not wheat harvest today? ^(I)I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that ^(J)your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” ¹⁸So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, ^(K)and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

¹⁹And all the people said to Samuel, ^(L)“Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” ²⁰And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet ^(M)do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. ²¹And ^(N)do not turn aside after ^(O)empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. ²²^(P)For the Lord will not forsake his people, ^(Q)for his great name's sake, because ^(R)it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. ²³Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing ^(S)to pray for you, ^(T)and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. ²⁴^(U)Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider ^(V)what great things he has done for you. ²⁵But if you still do wickedly, ^(W)you shall be swept away, ^(X)both you and your king.”