1 Samuel 15

And Samuel said to Saul, “God sent me to anoint you as king over his people, over Israel. And now, listen to the voice of the words of God.

Thus says God of Armies, ‘I observed what Amalek did to Israel when he set against him in the way in his coming up from Egypt.

Now go and strike Amalek and devote all that {is} to him, and do not have compassion on him, but kill from man to woman, from child and to infant, from ox and to sheep, from camel and to donkey.’” \*

And Saul made the people hear, and he mustered them at Telaim, 200,000 footsoldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

Then Saul came to the city of Amalek, and he lay in ambush in the wadi. \*

And Saul said to the Kenite, “Go, depart, go down from the midst of the Amalekite, lest I remove you with him. For you, you did kindness with all of the sons of Israel in their coming up from Egypt.” And the Kenite departed from the midst of Amalek.

And Saul struck Amalek from Havilah {to} your coming {to} Shur, which {is} on the face of Egypt. \*

Now he seized Agag, the king of Amalek, alive, but he devoted all of the people to the mouth of the sword.

But Saul and the people had compassion on Agag and on the best of the sheep and the cattle and the second ones and on the lambs and on all of the good, and they were not willing to devote them. But all of the despised and weakened property, they devoted it. \*

And the word of God was to Samuel, saying,

“I regret that I have made Saul reign as king, for he has turned from after me and has not raised up my words.” And it was hot to Samuel, and he cried out to God all of the night. \*

And Samuel arose early in the morning to meet Saul. And it was declared to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he was setting up a hand for himself, then he turned and passed on and went down {to} Gilgal.”

And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “{May} you {be} blessed by God! I have raised up the word of God.” \*

And Samuel said, “Then what {is} this sound of a flock in my ears? And the sound of cattle that I am hearing?”

And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekite. For the people had compassion on the best of the flock and the cattle, to sacrifice {them} to God your God. But the remainder, we devoted.”

And Samuel said to Saul, “Stop, and let me declare to you what God spoke to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.” \*

And Samuel said, “{Is it} not, if you {were} small in your eyes, you {are} the head of the tribes of Israel? For God has anointed you as king over Israel.

And God sent you on your way, and he said, ‘Go, and you shall devote the sinners, Amalek. And you shall fight with him until the finishing of them.’

So why did you not listen to the voice of God? But you swooped down on the plunder, and you did evil in the eyes of God.” \*

But Saul said to Samuel that, “I have listened to the voice of God, and I have gone on the way that God sent me. And I have brought Agag, the king of Amalek, and I have devoted Amalek.

And the people took from the plunder sheep and cattle, the first of the devoted thing, to sacrifice to God your God at Gilgal.” \*

And Samuel said, “{Is} the delight of God in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in listening to the voice of God? Behold, listening {is} better than sacrifice, to pay attention than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion {is} the sin of divination, and to insist {is} iniquity and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of God, he has rejected you from {being} king.” \*

And Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. For I have crossed over the mouth of God and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.

But now, please take away my sin and return with me so I may worship God.” \*

But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of God, so God has rejected you from {being} king over Israel.”

And Samuel turned to go, but he seized the edge of his robe, and it was torn. \*

And Samuel said to him, “God has torn the kingdom of Israel from upon you today, and he has given it to your fellow, {one} better than you.

For indeed the Glory of Israel does not lie and does not change his mind. For he {is} not a man, to change his mind.” \*

And he said, “I have sinned! Now please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so I may worship God your God.”

So Samuel returned behind Saul, and Saul worshiped God. \*

And Samuel said, “Bring Agag, the king of Amalek, to me.” And Agag went to him {in} bonds. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death has turned aside.”

But Samuel said, “Just as your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces to the face of God at Gilgal. \*

Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house {at} Gibeah of Saul.

And Samuel did not resume to see Saul up to the day of his death, but Samuel mourned for Saul. And God regretted that he had made Saul reign over Israel. \*