<p class="bodytext">But the people refused to heed Samuel&#8217;s warning.<n id="1" /> Instead they said, &#8220;No! There will be a king over us!

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then the people said to Samuel, &#8220;Who were the ones asking, &#8216;Will Saul reign over us?&#8217; Hand over those men so we may execute them!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, &#8216;No! A king will rule over us&#8217; &#8211; even though the <sc>Lordsc> your God is your king!

But if they say, &#8216;Come up against us,&#8217; we will go up. For in that case the <sc>Lordsc> has given them into our hand &#8211; it will be a sign to us.&#8221;p>

Both night and day they were a protective wall for us the entire time we were with them, while we were tending our flocks.

When the people<n id="1" /> of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, &#8220;The ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us, for he has attacked<n id="2" /> both us and our god Dagon!&#8221;p>

But today you have rejected your God who saves you from all your trouble and distress. You have said, &#8220;No!<n id="1" /> Appoint a king over us.&#8221; Now take your positions before the <sc>Lordsc> by your tribes and by your clans.&#8217;&#8221;p>

Neither man nor woman would David leave alive so as to bring them back to Gath. He was thinking, &#8220;This way they can&#8217;t tell on us, saying, &#8216;This is what David did.&#8217;&#8221; Such was his practice the entire time<n id="1" /> that he lived in the country of the Philistines.

<p class="bodytext">But David said, &#8220;No! You shouldn&#8217;t do this, my brothers. Look at what the <sc>Lordsc> has given us!<n id="1" /> He has protected us and has delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us.