15 Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses^(A) and Samuel^(B) were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people.^(C) Send them away from my presence!^(D) Let them go!

⁶ Moses^(A) took half of the blood^(B) and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed^(C) against the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant^(D) and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”^(E)

⁸ Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people^(F) and said, “This is the blood of the covenant^(G) that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

⁹ Then Samuel^(A) took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.^(B)

¹⁰ While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered^(C) with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic^(D) that they were routed before the Israelites. ¹¹ The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone^(E) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^[a](F) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

²⁵ Then Moses cried out^(A) to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw^(B) it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.

There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.^(C)

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?^(A) Tell the Israelites to move on.

¹⁸ Then Samuel called on the Lord,^(A) and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe^(B) of the Lord and of Samuel.

¹⁹ The people all said to Samuel, “Pray^(C) to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die,^(D) for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

²⁰ “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil;^(E) yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. ²¹ Do not turn away after useless^(F) idols.^(G) They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. ²² For the sake^(H) of his great name^(I) the Lord will not reject^(J) his people, because the Lord was pleased to make^(K) you his own. ²³ As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray^(L) for you. And I will teach^(M) you the way that is good and right. ²⁴ But be sure to fear^(N) the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart;^(O) consider^(P) what great^(Q) things he has done for you.

⁴⁷ So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people,^(A) but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. ⁴⁸ He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.^(B)

²¹ “Separate yourselves^(A) from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”^(B)

²² But Moses and Aaron fell facedown^(C) and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things,^(D) will you be angry with the entire assembly^(E) when only one man sins?”^(F)