Quotes About Judgment

Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was heavy upon it.

Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

But God struck down some of the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck them with a great slaughter.

When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

So Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places.

Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

“Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”

But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.

Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.”

But they forgot the LORD their God, and He sold them into the hand of Sisera the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them.

But if you disobey the LORD and rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers.

Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king.”

But if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ëI witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they ambushed them on their way up from Egypt.

Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.í”

He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword.

Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to destroy them, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless.

But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?”

and sent you on a mission, saying, ëGo and devote to destruction the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have wiped them out.í

“I will not return with you,” Samuel replied. “For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and He has rejected you as king over Israel.”

So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.

Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him cheerfully, for he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”