18. Samuel called out to the Lord. That same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all of the people had great respect for the Lord and for Samuel.
19. They said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for us. Pray that we won't die because we asked for a king. That was an evil thing to do. We added it to all of our other sins."
20. "Don't be afraid," Samuel replied. "It's true that you have done all of those evil things. But don't turn away from the Lord. Serve him with all your heart.
21. "Don't turn away and worship statues of gods. They are useless. They can't do you any good. They can't save you either. They are completely useless.
22. "But the Lord will be true to his great name. He won't turn his back on his people. That's because he was pleased to make you his own people.
23. "I would never sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I'll teach you to live in a way that is good and right.
24. "But be sure to have respect for the Lord. Serve him faithfully. Do it with all your heart. Think about the great things he has done for you.