14 If you fear(A) the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel(B) against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! 15 But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against(C) his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.

16 “Now then, stand still(D) and see(E) this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! 17 Is it not wheat harvest(F) now? I will call(G) on the Lord to send thunder(H) and rain.(I) And you will realize what an evil(J) thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”

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

19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray(M) to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die,(N) 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;(O) yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless(P) idols.(Q) They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake(R) of his great name(S) the Lord will not reject(T) his people, because the Lord was pleased to make(U) you his own. 23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray(V) for you. And I will teach(W) you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear(X) the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart;(Y) consider(Z) what great(AA) things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist(AB) in doing evil, both you and your king(AC) will perish.”(AD)

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14 If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God:

15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.

16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes.

17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king.

18 So Samuel called unto the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;

21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

22 For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.

23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

24 Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

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I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,(A) to Christ, so that I might present you(B) as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning,(C) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached,(D) or if you receive a different spirit(E) from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel(F) from the one you accepted, you put up with it(G) easily enough.

I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”[a](H)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:5 Or to the most eminent apostles

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

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13 For such people are false apostles,(A) deceitful(B) workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.(C) 14 And no wonder, for Satan(D) himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.(E)

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13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

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