Samuel also said
unto Saul
, The LORD
sent
me to anoint
thee to be king
over his people
, over Israel
: now therefore hearken
thou unto the voice
of the words
of the LORD
.
Thus saith the LORD
of hosts
, I remember
that which Amalek
did
to Israel
, how he laid
wait for him in the way
, when he came up
from Egypt
.
Now go and smite
Amalek
, and utterly destroy
all that they have, and spare
them not; but slay
both man
and woman
, infant
and suckling
, ox
and sheep
, camel
and ass
.
And Saul gathered
the people
together
, and numbered
them in Telaim
, two hundred
thousand
footmen
, and ten
thousand
men
of Judah
.
And Saul came
to a city
of Amalek
, and laid wait
in the valley
.
And Saul said
unto the Kenites
, Go
, depart
, get you down
from among
the Amalekites
, lest I destroy
you with them: for ye shewed
kindness
to all the children
of Israel
, when they came up
out of Egypt
. So the Kenites
departed
from among
the Amalekites
.
And Saul smote
the Amalekites
from Havilah
until thou comest
to Shur
, that is over against
Egypt
.
And he took Agag
the king
of the Amalekites
alive
, and utterly destroyed
all the people
with the edge
of the sword
.
But Saul and the people
spared
Agag
, and the best
of the sheep
, and of the oxen
, and of the fatlings
, and the lambs
, and all that was good
, and would
not utterly destroy
them: but every thing
that was vile
and refuse
, that they destroyed utterly
.
Then came the word of the LORD
unto Samuel
, saying
,
It repenteth me that I have set up
Saul
to be king
: for he is turned back
from following
me, and hath not performed
my commandments
. And it grieved
Samuel
; and he cried
unto the LORD
all night
.
And when Samuel rose early
to meet
Saul
in the morning
, it was told
Samuel
, saying
, Saul
came
to Carmel
, and, behold, he set him up
a place
, and is gone about
, and passed on
, and gone down
to Gilgal
.
And Samuel came
to Saul
: and Saul
said
unto him, Blessed
be thou of the LORD
: I have performed
the commandment
of the LORD
.
And Samuel said
, What meaneth then this bleating
of the sheep
in mine ears
, and the lowing
of the oxen
which I hear
?
And Saul said
, They have brought
them from the Amalekites
: for the people
spared
the best
of the sheep
and of the oxen
, to sacrifice
unto the LORD
thy God
; and the rest
we have utterly destroyed
.
Then Samuel said
unto Saul
, Stay
, and I will tell
thee what the LORD
hath said
to me this night
. And he said
unto him, Say on
.
And Samuel said
, When thou wast little
in thine own sight
, wast thou not made the head
of the tribes
of Israel
, and the LORD
anointed
thee king
over Israel
?
And the LORD sent
thee on a journey
, and said
, Go
and utterly destroy
the sinners
the Amalekites
, and fight
against them until they be consumed
.
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice
of the LORD
, but didst fly
upon the spoil
, and didst
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
?
And Saul said
unto Samuel
, Yea, I have obeyed
the voice
of the LORD
, and have gone
the way
which the LORD
sent
me, and have brought
Agag
the king
of Amalek
, and have utterly destroyed
the Amalekites
.
But the people took
of the spoil
, sheep
and oxen
, the chief
of the things which should have been utterly destroyed
, to sacrifice
unto the LORD
thy God
in Gilgal
.
And Samuel said
, Hath the LORD
as great delight
in burnt offerings
and sacrifices
, as in obeying
the voice
of the LORD
? Behold, to obey
is better
than sacrifice
, and to hearken
than the fat
of rams
.
For rebellion is as the sin
of witchcraft
, and stubbornness
is as iniquity
and idolatry
. Because thou hast rejected
the word
of the LORD
, he hath also rejected
thee from being king
.
And Saul said
unto Samuel
, I have sinned
: for I have transgressed
the commandment
of the LORD
, and thy words
: because I feared
the people
, and obeyed
their voice
.
Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin
, and turn again
with me, that I may worship
the LORD
.
And Samuel said
unto Saul
, I will not return
with thee: for thou hast rejected
the word
of the LORD
, and the LORD
hath rejected
thee from being king
over Israel
.
And as Samuel turned about
to go away
, he laid hold
upon the skirt
of his mantle
, and it rent
.
And Samuel said
unto him, The LORD
hath rent
the kingdom
of Israel
from thee this day
, and hath given
it to a neighbour
of thine, that is better
than thou.
And also the Strength of Israel
will not lie
nor repent
: for he is not a man
, that he should repent
.
Then he said, I have sinned
: yet honour
me now, I pray thee, before the elders
of my people
, and before Israel
, and turn again
with me, that I may worship
the LORD
thy God
.
So Samuel turned again
after
Saul
; and Saul
worshipped
the LORD
.
Then said Samuel
, Bring ye hither
to me Agag
the king
of the Amalekites
. And Agag
came
unto him delicately
. And Agag
said
, Surely
the bitterness
of death
is past
.
And Samuel said
, As thy sword
hath made women
childless
, so shall thy mother
be childless
among women
. And Samuel
hewed
Agag
in pieces
before
the LORD
in Gilgal
.
Then Samuel went
to Ramah
; and Saul
went up
to his house
to Gibeah
of Saul
.
And Samuel came no more
to see
Saul
until the day
of his death
: nevertheless
Samuel
mourned
for Saul
: and the LORD
repented
that he had made Saul
king
over Israel
.