1 Samuel 7:8-9

7:8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Keep ¹  crying out to the Lord our ²  God so that he may save us ³  from the hand of the Philistines!” 7:9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb ⁴  and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.

1 Samuel 12:19-25

12:19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us – your servants – so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.” ⁵ 

12:20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed sinned. ⁶  However, don’t turn aside from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart. 12:21 You should not turn aside after empty things that can’t profit and can’t deliver, since they are empty. ⁷  12:22 The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. ⁸  The Lord was pleased to make you his own people. 12:23 As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright. 12:24 However, fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you! 12:25 But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

[7:8]  ¹ tn Heb “don’t stop.”

[7:8]  ² tc The LXX reads “your God” rather than the MT’s “our God.”

[7:8]  ³ tn After the negated jussive, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.

[7:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “a lamb of milk”; NAB “an unweaned lamb”; NIV “a suckling lamb”; NCV “a baby lamb.”

[12:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”

[12:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “you have done all this evil.”

[12:21]  ⁷ tn Or “useless” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “nothing”; NASB “futile”; TEV “are not real.”

[12:22]  ⁸ tn Heb “on account of his great name.”