1 Samuel 15
15
Saul’s Disobedience
1Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now listen and pay close attention to the words of the Lord. 2Thus says the Lord of hosts (armies), ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way when Israel came up from Egypt. 3Now go and strike Amalek and completely destroy everything that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
4So Saul summoned the people and numbered them at Telaim—200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 5Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. 6Saul said to the #15:6 Moses’ father-in-law and his wife were Kenites. The Kenites were a nomadic people related to the Midianites and they had traditionally been friendly with the children of Israel.Kenites, “Go, leave, go down from the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they went up from Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, though he totally destroyed all [the rest of] the people with the sword. 9Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and everything that was good, and they were not willing to destroy them entirely; but everything that was undesirable or worthless they destroyed completely.
Samuel Rebukes Saul
10Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11“I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” Samuel was angry [over Saul’s failure] and he cried out to the Lord all night. 12When Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, he was told, “Saul came to #15:12 A city located about seven miles south of Hebron.Carmel, and behold, he set up for himself a monument [commemorating his victory], then he turned and went on and went down to Gilgal.” 13So Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord. I have carried out the command of the Lord.” 14But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen #15:15 This lie was a thinly-disguised attempt to justify disobedience to God.to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have destroyed completely.” 16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop, and let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” Saul said to him, “Speak.”
17Samuel said, “Is it not true that even though you were small (insignificant) in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel, 18and the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, totally destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are eliminated.’ 19Why did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but [instead] swooped down on the plunder [with shouts of victory] and did evil in the sight of the Lord?”
20Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things [that were] to be totally destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 22Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obedience to the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed [is better] than the fat of rams.
23“For rebellion is as [serious as] the sin of divination (fortune-telling),
And disobedience is as [serious as] false religion and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He also has rejected #15:23 The passage does not say that God rejected Saul, the man, but rejected his being king of Israel.you as king.”
24Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25Now, please, pardon my sin and return with me, so that I may worship the Lord.” 26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27As Samuel turned to go [away], Saul grabbed the hem of his robe [to stop him], and it tore. 28So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. 29Also the Splendor and Glory and Eminence of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” 30Saul said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
32Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him #15:32 Or in chains.cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death has come to an end.” 33Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel cut Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
34Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, for Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
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1 Samuel 15
15
1 And Samuel said to Saul: "The Lord sent me, so that I would anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the voice of the Lord.
2 'Thus says the Lord of hosts: I have taken account of all that Amalek has done to Israel, how he stood against him in the way, when he ascended from Egypt.
3 Now therefore, go and strike Amalek, and demolish all that is his. You shall not spare him, and you shall not covet anything out of the things that are his. Instead, kill from man even to woman, and little ones as well as infants, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "
4 And so, Saul instructed the people, and he numbered them like lambs: two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 And when Saul had arrived as far as the city of Amalek, he placed ambushes at the torrent.
6 And Saul said to the Kenite: "Go away, withdraw, and descend from Amalek. Otherwise, I will include you with him. For you showed mercy to all the sons of Israel, when they ascended from Egypt." And so the Kenite withdrew from the midst of Amalek.
7 And Saul struck down Amalek, from Havilah even until you arrive at Shur, which is opposite the region of Egypt.
8 And he apprehended Agag, the king of Amalek, alive. But all the common people he put to death with the edge of the sword.
9 And Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the flocks of sheep, and of the herds, and the garments, and the rams, and all that was beautiful, and they were not willing to destroy them. Yet truly, whatever was vile or worthless, these they demolished.
10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying
11 "It displeases me that I have appointed Saul as king. For he has forsaken me, and he has not fulfilled the work of my words." And Samuel was greatly saddened, and he cried out to the Lord, all night long
12 And when Samuel had risen while it was still dark, so that he might go to Saul in the morning, it was reported to Samuel that Saul had arrived at Carmel, and that he had erected for himself a triumphant arch. And, while returning, he had continued on and descended to Gilgal. Therefore, Samuel went to Saul. And Saul was offering a holocaust to the Lord, from the best of the spoils, which he had brought from Amalek.
13 And when Samuel had gone to Saul, Saul said to him: "You are the blessed of the Lord. I have fulfilled the word of the Lord."
14 And Samuel said, "Then what is this voice of the flocks, which resounds in my ears, and of the herds, which I am hearing?"
15 And Saul said: "They have brought these from Amalek. For the people spared the best of the sheep and of the herds, so that they might be immolated to the Lord your God. Yet truly, the remainder we have slain."
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Permit me, and I will reveal to you what the Lord has said to me this night." And he said to him, "Speak."
17 And Samuel said: "Was it not when you were little in your own eyes that you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you as king over Israel.
18 And the Lord sent you on the way, and he said: 'Go and put to death the sinners of Amalek. And you shall fight against them, even unto utter annihilation.'
19 Why then, did you not listen to the voice of the Lord? Instead, you turned to the spoils, and you did evil in the eyes of the Lord."
20 And Saul said to Samuel: "On the contrary, I did listen to the voice of the Lord, and I walked in the way along which the Lord sent me, and I led back Agag, the king of Amalek, and I put to death Amalek.
21 But the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, as the first-fruits of those things that were slain, to immolate to the Lord their God at Gilgal."
22 And Samuel said: "Does the Lord want holocausts and victims, and not instead that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifice. And to heed is greater than to offer the fat of rams.
23 Therefore, it is like the sin of paganism to rebel. And it is like the crime of idolatry to refuse to obey. For this reason, therefore, because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord has also rejected you from being king."
24 And Saul said to Samuel: "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the word of the Lord, and your words, by fearing the people and obeying their voice.
25 But now, I beg you, to bear my sin, and to return with me, so that I may adore the Lord."
26 And Samuel said to Saul: "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel."
27 And Samuel turned away, so that he might depart. But Saul took hold of the edge of his cloak, and it tore.
28 And Samuel said to him: "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you this day. And he has delivered it to your neighbor, who is better than you are.
29 Moreover, the One who triumphs within Israel will not spare, and he will not be moved to repentance. For he is not a man, that he should repent."
30 Then he said: "I have sinned. But now, honor me before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, so that I may adore the Lord your God."
31 Therefore, Samuel turned again after Saul. And Saul adored the Lord.
32 And Samuel said, "Bring near to me Agag, the king of Amalek." And Agag, very fat and trembling, was presented to him. And Agag said, "Does bitter death separate in this manner?"
33 And Samuel said, "Just as your sword caused women to be without their children, so will your mother be without her children among women." And Samuel cut him into pieces, before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went away to Ramah. But Saul ascended to his house at Gibeah.
35 And Samuel did not see Saul any more, until the day of his death. Yet truly, Samuel mourned for Saul, because the Lord regretted that he had appointed him as king over Israel.
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