1 Samuel 15
15
Saul Defeats the Amalekites
1One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! 2This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 3Now go and completely destroy#15:3 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; also in 15:8, 9, 15, 18, 20, 21. the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”
4So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. 5Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. 6Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.
7Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. 8He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. 9Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.
The Lord Rejects Saul
10Then the Lord said to Samuel, 11“I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.
12Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”
13When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”
14“Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.
15“It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else.”
16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Listen to what the Lord told me last night!”
“What did he tell you?” Saul asked.
17And Samuel told him, “Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel. 18And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’ 19Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”
20“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. 21Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
22But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
23Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
Saul Pleads for Forgiveness
24Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. 25But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”
26But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”
27As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. 28And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you. 29And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”
30Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31So Samuel finally agreed and went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
Samuel Executes King Agag
32Then Samuel said, “Bring King Agag to me.” Agag arrived full of hope, for he thought, “Surely the worst is over, and I have been spared!”#15:32 Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version read Agag arrived hesitantly, for he thought, “Surely this is the bitterness of death.” 33But Samuel said, “As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
34Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35Samuel never went to meet with Saul again, but he mourned constantly for him. And the Lord was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel.
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1 Samuel 15: NLT
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1 Samuel 15
15
Saul Rejected as King
1Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people Israel. # 1Sm 9:16 Now, listen to the words of the Lord. 2This is what the Lord of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed # LXX reads I will avenge what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them along the way as they were coming out of Egypt. # Ex 17:8-16; Nm 24:20; Dt 25:17-19 3Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. # Nm 24:20; Dt 20:16-18 Do not spare them. Kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ” # Jos 6:17-21; 1Sm 22:19
4Then Saul summoned the troops and counted them at Telaim: 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men from Judah. 5Saul came to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the wadi. 6He warned the Kenites, # Jdg 1:16; 4:11 “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, # Ex 18:9-10; Nm 10:29-32 go on and leave! Get away from the Amalekites, or I’ll sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites.
7Then Saul struck down the Amalekites # 1Sm 14:48 from Havilah # Gn 16:7; 25:17-18 all the way to Shur, # Ex 15:22; 1Sm 27:8 which is next to Egypt. 8He captured Agag # Nm 24:7; Est 3:1 king of Amalek alive, but he completely destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword. # 1Sm 27:8; 30:1; 2Sm 8:12 9Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, cattle, and choice animals, # Lit and the second as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things.
10Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, 11“I regret that I made Saul king, # Gn 6:6-7; Ex 32:14; 2Sm 24:16 for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” # 1Kg 9:6-7 So Samuel became angry and cried out to the Lord all night. # Ex 32:11-13; Lk 6:12
12Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel # Jos 15:55; 1Sm 25:2 where he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.” # 1Sm 13:13-14 13When Samuel came to him, Saul said, “May the Lord bless you. # Gn 14:19; 2Sm 2:5 I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”
14Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep # Lit sheep in my ears and cattle I hear? ”
15Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites and spared the best sheep and cattle in order to offer a sacrifice to the Lord your God, # Gn 3:12-13 but the rest we destroyed.” # Ex 32:21-24
16“Stop! ” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”
“Tell me,” he replied.
17Samuel continued, “Although you once considered yourself unimportant, # 1Sm 9:21 have you not become the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel 18and then sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have annihilated them.’ 19So why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why did you rush on the plunder # 1Sm 14:32 and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight? ”
20“But I did obey the Lord! ” Saul answered. # Lit answered Samuel “I went on the mission the Lord gave me: I brought back Agag, king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder — the best of what was set apart for destruction — to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” # Ex 32:22-23
22Then Samuel said:
Does the Lord # Ps 40:6-8; 51:16-17; Is 1:11-15; Mc 6:6-8 take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
Look: to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. # Heb 10:5-7
23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, # Dt 18:10
and defiance is like wickedness # Gn 31:19,34 and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He has rejected you as king. # 1Sm 8:7
24Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. # Nm 22:34; 2Sm 12:13; Ps 51:3-4 I have transgressed the Lord’s command # Pr 29:25; Is 51:12-13 and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. 25Now therefore, please forgive my sin # Ex 10:17 and return with me so I can worship the Lord.”
26Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the Lord, # 1Sm 13:14; 16:1 the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today # 1Sm 28:17-18 and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. # 1Kg 11:30-36 29Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel # 1Ch 29:11; Ps 18:1-2 does not lie or change His mind, for He is not man who changes his mind.” # Nm 23:19; Ezk 24:14
30Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me # Jn 12:43 now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the Lord your God.” # Is 29:13 31Then Samuel went back, following Saul, and Saul bowed down to the Lord.
32Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of Amalek.”
Agag came to him trembling, # Hb obscure for he thought, “Certainly the bitterness of death has come.” # LXX reads Is death bitter in this way? # Lit turned
33Samuel declared:
As your sword has made women childless,
so your mother will be childless among women. # Gn 9:6; Jdg 1:7; Mt 7:2
Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
34Samuel went to Ramah, # 1Sm 7:17 and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah # 1Sm 11:4 of Saul. 35Even to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. # 1Sm 19:24 Samuel mourned for Saul, # 1Sm 16:1 and the Lord regretted He had made Saul king over Israel.
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