‘I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my instructions.’ So Samuel became angry and cried out to the Lord all night.
Isn’t the wheat harvest today? I will call on the Lord, and he will send thunder and rain so that you will recognise what an immense evil you committed in the Lord’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves.’
Then Moses told Aaron, ‘Take your firepan, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the community and make atonement for them, because wrath has come from the Lord; the plague has begun.’
But Moses and Aaron fell face down and said, ‘God, God who gives breath to all, , when one man sins, will you vent your wrath on the whole community? ’
Then Moses became angry and said to the Lord, ‘Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.’
But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to him, “You must set a king over us.” Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.’
But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, “No, we must have a king reign over us” #– #even though the Lord your God is your king.
They pleaded with Samuel, ‘Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.’