The LORDsaidto Samuel,"Listento the voiceof the peoplein regard to allthat they sayto you, for they have not rejectedyou, but they have rejectedMe from beingkingoverthem.
Mosessaid,"[This will happen] when the LORDgivesyou meatto eatin the evening,and breadto the fullin the morning;for the LORDhearsyour grumblingswhichyou grumbleagainstHim. And whatare we? Your grumblingsare not againstus but againstthe LORD."
SoI will choosetheir punishmentsAnd will bringon them whatthey dread.BecauseI called,but nooneanswered;I spoke,but they did not listen.And they didevilin My sightAnd chosethat in whichI did not delight."
"At the endof sevenyearseachof you shall setfreehis Hebrewbrotherwhohas been soldto you and has servedyou sixyears,you shall sendhim out freefrom you; but your forefathersdid not obeyMe or inclinetheir earto Me.
Then He saidto me, "Sonof man,I am sendingyou to the sonsof Israel,to a rebelliouspeoplewhohave rebelledagainst Me; they and their fathershave transgressedagainst Me to thisveryday.
yet the houseof Israelwill not be willingto listento you, sincethey are not willingto listento Me. Surelythe wholehouseof Israelis stubbornand obstinate.
Godcameto Balaamat nightand saidto him, "Ifthe menhave cometo callyou, riseup [and] gowith them; but onlythe wordwhichI speakto you shall you do."
"He who receivesyou receivesMe, and he who receivesMe receivesHim who sentMe.
"The one who listensto you listensto Me, and the one who rejectsyou rejectsMe; and he who rejectsMe rejectsthe One who sentMe."
"But his citizenshatedhim and senta delegationafterhim, saying,'We do not wantthis manto reignoverus.'
"But theseenemiesof mine,who did not wantme to reignoverthem, bringthem hereand slaythem in my presence."
"Truly,truly,I sayto you, a slaveis not greaterthan his master,nor[is] one who is sentgreaterthan the one who senthim.
But Gideonsaidto them, "I will not ruleover you, norshall my sonruleover you; the LORDshall ruleover you."
"But you have todayrejectedyour God,whodeliversyou from allyour calamitiesand your distresses;yet you have said,'No,but seta kingoverus!' Nowtherefore, presentyourselves beforethe LORDby your tribesand by your clans."
Then Samuelsaidto allIsrael,"Behold,I have listenedto your voicein allthat you saidto me and I have appointeda kingoveryou.
"When you sawthat Nahashthe kingof the sonsof Ammoncameagainstyou, you saidto me, 'No,but a kingshall reignoverus,' although the LORDyour God[was] your king.
The LORDsaidto Samuel,"Listento their voiceand appointthem a king."So Samuelsaidto the menof Israel,"Goeverymanto his city."
"Like allthe deedswhichthey have donesincethe daythat I broughtthem up from Egypteven to thisday--in that they have forsakenMe and servedothergods--sothey are doingto you also.
