1 Samuel 12:19-23

19They said to Samuel, ‘Please pray to the Lord your God for us. We do not want to die! We realize that we have done many bad things in past times. Now we have added to those sins when we asked to have a king.’

20Samuel said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. It is true that you have done an evil thing. But do not turn away from the Lord. Instead, serve him with all your strength.

21Do not worship idols. They are useless things. They cannot help you. They will never save you.

22The Lord was pleased to choose you to be his own people. He will show that he is faithful and he will not leave you alone.

23As for me, I will not stop praying for you. That would be a sin against the Lord. I will teach you how to live in the right way.