<p class="bodytext">All these curses will fall on you, pursuing and overtaking you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the <sc>Lordsc> your God by keeping his commandments and statutes that he has given<n id="1" /> you.

if you obey the <sc>Lordsc> your God and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this scroll of the law. But you must turn to him<n id="1" /> with your whole mind and being.p>

Now, hand over the good-for-nothings<n id="1" /> in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.&#8221;<n id="2" /> But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers.

<p class="bodytext">As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel.<n id="1" /> But on that day the <sc>Lordsc> thundered loudly against the Philistines. He caused them to panic, and they were defeated by<n id="2" /> Israel.

The <sc>Lordsc> said to Samuel, &#8220;Do everything the people request of you.<n id="1" /> For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king.

<p class="bodytext">Then Saul said to Samuel, &#8220;But I have obeyed<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>! I went on the campaign<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites.

Since you did not obey the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> and did not carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites, the <sc>Lordsc> has done this thing to you today.

At noon Elijah mocked them, &#8220;Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened.&#8221;<n id="1" />

This happened because they did not obey<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> their God and broke his agreement with them.<n id="2" /> They did not pay attention to and obey all that Moses, the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s servant, had commanded.<n id="3" />p>

Many of the priests, the Levites, and the leaders<n id="1" /> &#8211; older people who had seen with their own eyes the former temple while it was still established<n id="2" /> &#8211; were weeping loudly,<n id="3" /> and many others raised their voice in a joyous shout.

<p class="poetry">Let us acknowledge<n id="1" /> our shame.p> <p class="poetry">Let us bear the disgrace that we deserve.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For we have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc> our God,p> <p class="poetry">both we and our ancestors.p> <p class="poetry">From earliest times to this very dayp> <p class="poetry">we have not obeyed the <sc>Lordsc> our God.&#8217;p>

You have sacrificed to other gods! You have sinned against the <sc>Lordsc>! You have not obeyed the <sc>Lordsc>! You have not followed his laws, his statutes, and his decrees! That is why this disaster that is evident to this day has happened to you.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak,<n id="1" /> along with the whole remnant of the people,<n id="2" /> obeyed<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc> their God. They responded favorably to the message of the prophet Haggai, who spoke just as the <sc>Lordsc> their God had instructed him,<n id="4" /> and the people began to respect the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="5" />

Indeed, for forty years the Israelites traveled through the desert until all the men old enough to fight when they left Egypt, the ones who had disobeyed the <sc>Lordsc>, died off.<n id="1" /> For the <sc>Lordsc> had sworn a solemn oath to them that he would not let them see the land he had sworn on oath to give them,<n id="2" /> a land rich in<n id="3" /> milk and honey.

I am presently eighty years old. Am I able to discern good and bad? Can I<n id="1" /> taste what I eat and drink? Am I still able to hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should I<n id="2" /> continue to be a burden to my lord the king?