1 SamuelChapter 15

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¹Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. So now, listen to the words of the LORD. ²This is what the LORD of Armies says: 'I saw what the Amalekites did to the Israelites. They fought against them on their way up from Egypt. ³Now go and attack the Amalekites. Destroy completely all that belongs to them. Do not spare them. Put to death men and women, children and babies, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"a ⁴So Saul called the troops together and counted them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. ⁵Saul went to the city of Amalek. He hid and waited in the valley. ⁶He warned the Kenites, "You were kind to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. So go on and get away from the Amalekites. If you don't, I'll sweep you away with them." So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites. ⁷Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur. Shur is east of Egypt. ⁸He captured Agag, the king of Amalek, alive. But he destroyed all the others completely with the sword. ⁹Saul and his troops spared Agag. They also spared the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They did not want to destroy these. But they did destroy everything that was poor and worthless. ¹⁰Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel. It said, ¹¹"I am sorry that I made Saul king. He has turned away from following me. He has not done what I told him." Samuel was upset. He cried out to the LORD all that night. ¹²Early in the morning Samuel got up to go face Saul. But someone told him, "Saul went to Carmel. Look, he set up a monument there for himself. Then he turned and went down to Gilgal." ¹³When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "May the LORD bless you. I have done what the LORD told me." ¹⁴But Samuel said, "Then what is this sound of sheep baaing that I hear? And what is this mooing of cattle?" ¹⁵Saul answered, "The troops brought them from the Amalekites. They spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God. But we destroyed all the rest completely." ¹⁶"Stop!" Samuel said. "Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul said. ¹⁷Samuel said, "You once thought of yourself as small. But haven't you become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. ¹⁸And he sent you on a mission. He said, 'Go and destroy those sinful Amalekites completely. Fight against them until you have wiped them out.' ¹⁹So why didn't you obey the LORD? Why did you rush to grab the goods you took? Why did you do what was evil in the LORD's eyes?" ²⁰"But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag, the king of Amalek. And I destroyed the Amalekites completely. ²¹The troops took sheep and cattle from the goods they captured. They took the best of the things that were to be destroyed. They did it to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal." ²²But Samuel said,
"Does the LORD enjoy burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as he enjoys people obeying his voice?
Obeying is better than sacrifice.
Listening is better than the fat of rams. ²³Rebelling is as sinful as trying to tell the future by magic.
Pride is as wicked as worshiping idols.
You have rejected the word of the LORD.
So he has rejected you as king." ²⁴Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I have broken the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people, so I did what they said. ²⁵So now, please forgive my sin. Come back with me so I can worship the LORD." ²⁶"I will not go back with you," Samuel said. "That is because you have rejected the word of the LORD. And he has rejected you as king over Israel." ²⁷Samuel turned to leave. Saul grabbed the edge of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸So Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today. He has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. ²⁹Also, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being, who changes his mind." ³⁰"I have sinned," Saul said. "But please honor me now in front of the elders of my people and in front of Israel. Come back with me so I may worship the LORD your God." ³¹So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD. ³²Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites." Agag came to him cheerfully. He thought, "Surely the bitter danger of death is past." ³³But Samuel said, "Your sword has made women lose their children. So your mother will lose her child too." And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal. ³⁴Then Samuel went to Ramah. But Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵Samuel never went to see Saul again for as long as he lived. But Samuel was sad and mourned for Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.