18 Διατοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐκδικῶ ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ, καθὼς ἐξεδίκησα ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα Ἀσσούρ.
Προσηύξατο δὲ Ἁβραὰμ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἰάσατο ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Ἀβιμέλεχ, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰς παιδίσκας αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἔτεκον.
Καὶ βοᾶτε ἐν ὀνόματι θεῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐγὼ ἐπικαλέσομαι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ μου· καὶ ἔσται ὁ θεὸς ὃς ἂν ἐπακούσῃ ἐν πυρὶ, οὗτος Θεός· καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς, καὶ εἶπον, καλὸν τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐλάλησας.
Καὶ ἔλαβον τὸν μόσχον καὶ ἐποίησαν, καὶ ἐπεκαλοῦντο ἐν ὀνόματι τοῦ Βάαλ ἐκ πρωΐθεν ἕως μεσημβρίας, καὶ εἶπον, ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν ὁ Βάαλ, ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν· καὶ οὐκ ἦν φωνὴ, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἀκρόασις· καὶ διέτρεχον ἐπὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου οὗ ἐποίησαν.
Καὶ προσηύξατο Ἐζεκίας ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ Ἡσαΐας υἱὸς Ἀμὼς ὁ προφήτης περὶ τούτων, καὶ ἐβόησαν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν.
Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς μὲ, ἐὰν στῇ Μωυσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ πρὸ προσώπου μου, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς αὐτούς· ἐξαπόστειλον τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἐξελθέτωσαν.
Εἰ ἀνταποδίδοται ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν κακὰ, ὅτι συνελάλησαν ῥήματα κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς μου, καὶ τὴν κόλασιν αὐτῶν ἔκρυψάν μοι· μνήσθητι ἑστηκότος μου κατὰ πρόσωπόν σου, τοῦ λαλῆσαι ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀγαθὰ, τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν θυμόν σου ἀπʼ αὐτῶν.
Βάδισον εἰς οἶκον Ἀρχαβεὶν, καὶ ἄξεις αὐτοὺς εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου, εἰς μίαν τῶν αὐλῶν, καὶ ποτιεῖς αὐτοὺς οἶνον.
Καὶ σὺ μὴ προσεύχου περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ μὴ ἀξιοῦ τοῦ ἐλεηθῆναι αὐτοὺς, καὶ μὴ εὔχου, καὶ μὴ προσέλθῃς μοι περὶ αὐτῶν, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι.
Καὶ ἐὰν ὦσιν οἱ τρεῖς ἄνδρες οὗτοι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς, Νῶε καὶ Δανιὴλ καὶ Ἰὼβ, αὐτοὶ ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ αὐτῶν σωθήσονται, λέγει Κύριος.
Καὶ ἐζήτουν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρα ἀναστρεφόμενον ὀρθῶς, καὶ ἑστῶτα πρὸ προσώπου μου ὁλοσχερῶς ἐν καιρῷ τῆς ὀργῆς, τοῦ μὴ εἰς τέλος ἐξαλεῖψαι αὐτὴν, καὶ οὐχ εὗρον.
Καὶ νῦν ἐξιλάσκεσθε τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν, καὶ δεήθητε αὐτοῦ. Ἐν χερσὶν ὑμῶν γέγονε ταῦτα, εἰ λήψομαι ἐξ ὑμῶν πρόσωπα ὑμῶν; λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ.
Καὶ εἶπαν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς πρὸς Σαμουὴλ, πρόσευξαι ὑπὲρ τῶν δούλων σου πρὸς Κύριον Θεόν σου, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν, ὅτι προστεθείκαμεν πρὸς πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν κακίαν, αἰτήσαντες ἑαυτοῖς βασιλέα.
Καὶ ἐμοὶ μηδαμῶς τοῦ ἁμαρτεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀνιέναι τοῦ προσεύχεσθαι περὶ ὑμῶν· καὶ δουλεύσω τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ δείξω ὑμῖν τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἀγαθὴν καὶ τὴν εὐθεῖαν·
Καὶ εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ πρὸς Σαμουήλ, μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς ἀφʼ ἡμῶν τοῦ μὴ βοᾷν πρὸς Κύριον Θεόν σου, καὶ σώσει ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς ἀλλοφύλων.