1 Samuel 15
1 Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. Now listen to the words of Yahweh.
And Samuel said to Saul, The Lord sent me to put the holy oil on you and to make you king over his people, over Israel: so give ear now to the words of the Lord.
2 This is what Yahweh of hosts says, 'I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way, when they came up from Egypt.
The Lord of armies says, I will give punishment to Amalek for what he did to Israel, fighting against him on the way when Israel came out of Egypt.
3 Now go and attack Amalek and completely destroy all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'”
Go now and put Amalek to the sword, putting to the curse all they have, without mercy: put to death every man and woman, every child and baby at the breast, every ox and sheep, camel and ass.
4 Saul summoned the people and numbered them at the city of Telaim—two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah.
And Saul sent for the people and had them numbered in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 Then Saul came to the city of Amalek and waited in the valley.
And Saul came to the town of Amalek, and took up his position in the valley secretly.
6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, come out from among the Amalekites, so I do not destroy you along with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel, when they came from Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.
And Saul said to the Kenites, Go away, take yourselves out from among the Amalekites, or destruction will overtake you with them: for you were kind to the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt. So the Kenites went away from among the Amalekites.
7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.
And Saul made an attack on the Amalekites from Havilah on the road to Shur, which is before Egypt.
8 Then he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive; he completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
He took Agag, king of the Amalekites, prisoner, and put all the people to the sword without mercy.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, as well as the best of the sheep, oxen, fattened calves, and the lambs. Everything that was good, they did not destroy. But they completely destroyed anything that was despised and worthless.
But Saul and the people did not put Agag to death, and they kept the best of the sheep and the oxen and the fat beasts and the lambs, and whatever was good, not desiring to put them to the curse: but everything which was bad and of no use they put to the curse.
10 Then the word of Yahweh came to Samuel, saying,
Then the Lord said to Samuel,
11 “It grieves me that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; he cried out to Yahweh all night.
It is no longer my pleasure for Saul to be king; for he is turned back from going in my ways, and has not done my orders. And Samuel was very sad, crying to the Lord in prayer all night.
12 Samuel got up early to meet Saul in the morning. Samuel was told, “Saul came to Carmel and he set up a monument to himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.”
And early in the morning he got up and went to Saul; and word was given to Samuel that Saul had come to Carmel and put up a pillar, and had gone from there down to Gilgal.
13 Then Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you by Yahweh! I have fulfilled the command of Yahweh.”
And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, May the blessing of the Lord be with you: I have done what was ordered by the Lord.
14 Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?”
And Samuel said, What then is this sound of the crying of sheep and the noise of oxen which comes to my ears?
15 Saul replied, “They have brought them from the Amalekites. For the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God. The rest we have completely destroyed.”
And Saul said, They have taken them from the Amalekites: for the people have kept the best of the sheep and of the oxen as an offering to the Lord your God; all the rest we have given up to destruction.
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and I will tell you what Yahweh has said to me tonight.” Saul said to him, “Speak!”
Then Samuel said to Saul, Say no more! Let me give you word of what the Lord has said to me this night. And he said to him, Say on.
17 Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel? Then Yahweh anointed you king over Israel,
And Samuel said, Though you may seem little to yourself, are you not head of the tribes of Israel? for the Lord with the holy oil made you king over Israel,
18 and Yahweh sent you on your way and said, 'Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are destroyed.'
And the Lord sent you on a journey and said, Go and put to the curse those sinners, the Amalekites, fighting against them till every one is dead.
19 Why did you not obey the voice of Yahweh, but instead you seized the booty and did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh?”
Why then did you not do the orders of the Lord, but by violently taking their goods did evil in the eyes of the Lord?
20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have indeed obeyed the voice of Yahweh, and have gone on the way that Yahweh sent me. I have captured Agag, the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites.
And Saul said, Truly, I have done the orders of the Lord and have gone the way the Lord sent me; I have taken Agag, the king of Amalek, and have given the Amalekites up to destruction.
21 But the people took some of the booty—sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.”
But the people took some of their goods, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which were put to the curse, to make an offering of them to the Lord your God in Gilgal.
22 Samuel replied, “Has Yahweh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to listen is better than the fat of rams.
And Samuel said, Has the Lord as much delight in offerings and burned offerings as in the doing of his orders? Truly, to do his pleasure is better than to make offerings, and to give ear to him than the fat of sheep.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and stubbornness is like wickedness and iniquity. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has also rejected you from being king.”
For to go against his orders is like the sin of those who make use of secret arts, and pride is like giving worship to images. Because you have put away from you the word of the Lord, he has put you from your place as king.
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have broken Yahweh's commandment and your words, because I was afraid of the people and obeyed their voice.
And Saul said to Samuel, Great is my sin: for I have gone against the orders of the Lord and against your words: because, fearing the people, I did what they said.
25 Now, please pardon my sin, and return with me so that I may worship Yahweh.”
So now, let my sin have forgiveness, and go back with me to give worship to the Lord.
26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you; for you have rejected the word of Yahweh, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
And Samuel said to Saul, I will not go back with you: for you have put away from you the word of the Lord, and the Lord has put you from your place as king over Israel.
27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul took hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.
And when Samuel was turning round to go away, Saul took the skirt of his robe in his hand, and the cloth came away.
28 Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to a neighbor of yours, one who is better than you.
And Samuel said to him, The Lord has taken away the kingdom of Israel from you this day by force, and has given it to a neighbour of yours who is better than you.
29 Also, the Strength of Israel will not lie nor change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.”
And further, the Glory of Israel will not say what is false, and his purpose may not be changed: for he is not a man, whose purpose may be changed.
30 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. But please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Turn again with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”
Then he said, Great is my sin: but still, give me honour now before the heads of my people and before Israel, and come back with me so that I may give worship to the Lord your God.
31 So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshiped Yahweh.
So Samuel went back after Saul, and Saul gave worship to the Lord.
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me.” Agag came to him confined with chains and said, “Surely the bitterness of death has past.”
Then Samuel said, Make Agag, the king of the Amalekites, come here to me. And Agag came to him shaking with fear. And Agag said, Truly the pain of death is past.
33 Samuel replied, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” Then Samuel chopped Agag to pieces before Yahweh at Gilgal.
And Samuel said, As your sword has made women without children, so now your mother will be without children among women. And Agag was cut up by Samuel, bone from bone, before the Lord in Gilgal.
34 Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah, in the land of Saul.
35 Samuel did not see Saul until the day of his death, for he mourned for Saul. Yahweh was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
And Samuel never saw Saul again till the day of his death; but Samuel was sorrowing for Saul: and it was no longer the Lord's pleasure for Saul to be king over Israel.
