You were running well; who prevented you from obeying ¹  the truth?

Then Samuel said, “Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? ¹  Certainly, ²  obedience ³  is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than ⁴  the fat of rams.

Because you have obeyed me, ¹  all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another ²  using the name of your descendants.’”

All this will come to pass ¹  because Abraham obeyed me ²  and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” ³ 

Then if you and your descendants ¹  turn to the Lord your God and obey him with your whole mind and being ²  just as ³  I am commanding you today,

Why haven’t you obeyed ¹  the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.” ² 

I also explicitly commanded them: ¹  “Obey me. If you do, I ²  will be your God and you will be my people. Live exactly the way I tell you ³  and things will go well with you.”

This day ¹  I have told you what he said. ²  But you do not want to obey the Lord by doing what he sent me to tell you. ³ 

And we are witnesses of these events, ¹  and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey ²  him.”

Slaves, ¹  obey your earthly ²  masters in every respect, not only when they are watching – like those who are strictly people-pleasers – but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord.

With flaming fire he will mete out ¹  punishment on those who do not know God ²  and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

But if anyone does not obey our message through this letter, take note of him and do not associate closely with him, so that he may be ashamed.

Do you not know that if you present yourselves ¹  as obedient slaves, ²  you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness? ³ 

Then you must delegate ¹  some of your authority ²  to him, so that the whole community of the Israelites will be obedient. ³ 

“But they – our ancestors ¹  – behaved presumptuously; they rebelled ²  and did not obey your commandments.

Now then, my son, do ¹  exactly what I tell you! ² 

If a person has a stubborn, rebellious son who pays no attention to his father or mother, and they discipline him to no avail, ¹ 

You must obey him ¹  and keep his commandments and statutes that I am giving you today.”

They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses. ¹ 

Since you did not obey the Lord ¹  and did not carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this thing to you today.