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.

14 ¹ One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

³³ Then someone said to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that has blood^(A) in it.”

“You have broken faith,” he said. “Roll a large stone over here at once.”

⁵ Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful^(A) that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.^(B) This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

¹² Saul was afraid^(A) of David, because the Lord^(B) was with^(C) David but had departed from^(D) Saul.

¹³ So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led^(A) the troops in their campaigns.^(B)