1 Samuel 12:20

20 And Samuel said to the people, Dread ye not; ye have done all this evil; nevertheless go ye not away from (following) the back of the Lord, but serve ye the Lord in all your heart (but serve ye the Lord with all your heart);

1 Samuel 12:20 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 12:20

And Samuel said unto the people, fear not
Being destroyed by the tempest:

ye have done all this wickedness;
in asking a king; that is, though they were guilty of so heinous a sin, yet there were grace and mercy with God, and they should not despair of it, so be it that they did not depart from him, but cordially served him; the Targum is,

``ye have been the cause of all this evil;''

the storm of thunder and rain; and though they had, he would not have them despond or indulge slavish fear;

yet turn not aside from following the Lord;
the worship of the Lord, as the Targum; provided they did not depart from the Lord, and forsake his worship, word, and ordinances, they need not fear utter ruin and destruction, though they had been guilty of this sin:

but serve the Lord with all your heart;
if their service of God was kept up, and was hearty and sincere, they might still expect things would go well with them.

1 Samuel 12:20 In-Context

18 And Samuel cried to the Lord, and the Lord gave thunders and rains in that day. And all the people dreaded greatly the Lord and Samuel; (And Samuel cried to the Lord, and the Lord gave thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel;)

19 and all the people said to Samuel, Pray thou for thy servants to thy Lord God, that we die not; for we [have] added evil to all our sins, that we ask a king to us. (and all the people said to Samuel, Pray thou for thy servants to the Lord thy God, so that we shall not die; for we have added this evil to all our sins, that we asked for a king over us.)

20 And Samuel said to the people, Dread ye not; ye have done all this evil; nevertheless go ye not away from (following) the back of the Lord, but serve ye the Lord in all your heart (but serve ye the Lord with all your heart);

21 and do not ye bow after vain things, that shall not profit you, neither they shall deliver you; for those be vain things. (and do not ye worship false gods, that shall not profit you, nor can they save you; for they be false gods.)

22 And then the Lord shall not forsake his people for his great name; for the Lord hath sworn to make you a people to himself. (And then the Lord shall not forsake his people for the sake of his great name; for the Lord hath sworn to make you his own people.)