Then Samuel said
to Saul
, " aThe LORD
sent
me to anoint
you as king
over
His people
, over
Israel
; now
therefore, listen
to the 1words
of the LORD
.
"Thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, `I will 1punish
Amalek
afor what
he did
to Israel
, how
he set
himself against him on the way
while he was coming
up from Egypt
.
`Now go
and strike
Amalek
and autterly
destroy
all
that he has, and do not spare
him; but bput
to death
both
man
and woman
, child
and infant
, ox
and sheep
, camel
and donkey
.' "
Then Saul summoned
the people
and 1numbered
them in aTelaim
, 200,000
foot
soldiers
and 10,000
men
of Judah
.
Saul came
to the city
of Amalek
and set
an ambush
in the valley
.
Saul said
to athe Kenites
, "Go
, depart
, go
down
from among
the Amalekites
, so that I do not destroy
you with them; for byou showed
kindness
to all
the sons
of Israel
when they came
up from Egypt
." So the Kenites
departed
from among
the Amalekites
.
So aSaul 1defeated
the Amalekites
, from bHavilah
as you go
to cShur
, which
is 2east
of Egypt
.
He captured aAgag
the king
of the Amalekites
alive
, and butterly
destroyed
all
the people
with the edge
of the sword
.
But Saul and the people
aspared
Agag
and the best
of the sheep
, the oxen
, the fatlings
, the lambs
, and all
that was good
, and were not willing
to destroy
them utterly
; but everything
despised
and worthless
, that they utterly
destroyed
.
Then the word of the LORD
came
to Samuel
, saying
,
" aI regret that I have made
Saul
king
, for bhe has turned
back
from 1following
Me and has not carried
out My commands
." And Samuel
was distressed
and ccried
out to the LORD
all
night
.
Samuel rose
early
in the morning
to meet
Saul
; and it was told
Samuel
, saying
, "Saul
came
to aCarmel
, and behold
, he set
up a monument
for himself, then turned
and proceeded
on 1down
to bGilgal
."
Samuel came
to Saul
, and Saul
said
to him, " aBlessed
are you of the LORD
! I have carried
out the command
of the LORD
."
But Samuel said
, " aWhat
then is this
1bleating
of the sheep
in my ears
, and the 1lowing
of the oxen
which
I hear
?"
Saul said
, "They have brought
them from the Amalekites
, for athe people
spared
the best
of the sheep
and oxen
, to sacrifice
to the LORD
your God
; but the rest
we have utterly
destroyed
."
Then Samuel said
to Saul
, "Wait
, and let me tell
you what
the LORD
said
to me last night
." And he said
to him, "Speak
!"
Samuel said
, "Is it not true, athough
you were little
in your own eyes
, you were made the head
of the tribes
of Israel
? And the LORD
anointed
you king
over
Israel
,
and the LORD sent
you on a 1mission
, and said
, ` aGo
and utterly
destroy
the sinners
, the Amalekites
, and fight
against them until
they are exterminated
.'
"Why then did you not obey
the voice
of the LORD
, abut rushed
upon the spoil
and did
what
was evil
in the sight
of the LORD
?"
Then Saul said
to Samuel
, " aI did obey
the voice
of the LORD
, and went
on the 1mission
on which
the LORD
sent
me, and have brought
back Agag
the king
of Amalek
, and have utterly
destroyed
the Amalekites
.
"But athe people took
some of the spoil
, sheep
and oxen
, the choicest
of the things
devoted
to destruction
, to sacrifice
to the LORD
your God
at Gilgal
."
Samuel said
, " aHas the LORD
as much delight
in burnt
offerings
and sacrifices
As in obeying
the voice
of the LORD
? Behold
, bto obey
is better
than
sacrifice
, And to heed
than
the fat
of rams
.
"For rebellion is as the sin
of adivination
, And insubordination
is as biniquity
and idolatry
. Because
you have rejected
the word
of the LORD
, cHe has also rejected
you from being king
."
Then Saul said
to Samuel
, " aI have sinned
; bI have indeed
transgressed
the 1command
of the LORD
and your words
, because
I feared
the people
and listened
to their voice
.
"Now therefore, aplease
pardon
my sin
and return
with me, that I may worship
the LORD
."
But Samuel said
to Saul
, "I will not return
with you; for ayou have rejected
the word
of the LORD
, and the LORD
has rejected
you from being
king
over
Israel
."
As Samuel turned
to go
, aSaul seized
the edge
of his robe
, and it tore
.
So Samuel said
to him, " aThe LORD
has torn
the kingdom
of Israel
from you today
and has given
it to your neighbor
, who is better
than
you.
"Also the 1 aGlory
of Israel
bwill not lie
or change
His mind
; for He is not a man
that He should change
His mind
."
Then he said, "I have sinned
; abut please
honor
me now
before
the elders
of my people
and before
Israel
, and go
back
with me, bthat I may worship
the LORD
your God
."
So Samuel went
back
following
Saul
, and Saul
worshiped
the LORD
.
Then Samuel said
, "Bring
me Agag
, the king
of the Amalekites
." And Agag
came
to him 1cheerfully
. And Agag
said
, "Surely
the bitterness
of death
is past
."
But Samuel said
, " aAs your sword
has made
women
childless
, so
shall your mother
be childless
among
women
." And Samuel
hewed
Agag
to pieces
before
the LORD
at Gilgal
.
Then Samuel went
to aRamah
, but Saul
went
up to his house
at bGibeah
of Saul
.
aSamuel did
not see
Saul
again
until
the day
of his death
; for Samuel
bgrieved
over
Saul
. And the LORD
regretted
that He had made
Saul
king
over
Israel
.