1 Samuel 15
15
Samuel rejects Saul’s kingship
1Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. Listen now to the LORD’s words! 2This is what the LORD of heavenly forces says: I am going to punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel: how they attacked the Israelites as they came up from Egypt. 3So go! Attack the Amalekites; put everything that belongs to them under the ban.#15.3 A technique of holy war that often involves total destruction, in which everything that is destroyed is dedicated to the deity who helps in the battle; also in 15:8-9, 15, 18, 20-21. Spare no one. Kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.”
4Saul called out the troops and counted them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand more troops from Judah. 5Then Saul advanced on the Amalekite city and laid an ambush in the valley. 6Saul told the Kenites, “Get going! Leave the Amalekites immediately because you showed kindness to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt. Otherwise, I’ll destroy you right along with them.” So the Kenites left the Amalekites. 7Then Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is near Egypt. 8He captured Agag the Amalekite king alive, but Saul placed all the people under the ban, killing them with the sword. 9Saul and the troops spared Agag along with the best sheep, cattle, fattened calves,#15.9 LXX lambs, and everything of value. They weren’t willing to put them under the ban; but anything that was despised or of no value#15.9 LXX; Heb uncertain they placed under the ban.
10Then the LORD’s word came to Samuel: 11“I regret making Saul king because he has turned away from following me and hasn’t done what I said.” Samuel was upset at this, and he prayed to the LORD all night long.
12Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, and was told, “Saul went to Carmel, where he is setting up a monument for himself. Then he left and went down to Gilgal.”
13When Samuel reached Saul,#15.13 LXX adds he was offering entirely burned sacrifices to the LORD, the best of the plunder that he had taken from Amalek. As Samuel approached Saul. Saul greeted him, “The LORD bless you! I have done what the LORD said.”
14“Then what,” Samuel asked, “is this bleating of sheep in my ears and mooing of cattle I hear?”
15“They were taken from the Amalekites,” Saul said, “because the troops spared the best sheep and cattle in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God. The rest was placed under the ban.”
16Samuel then said to Saul, “Enough! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.”
“Tell me,” Saul replied.
17Samuel said, “Even if you think you are insignificant, aren’t you the leader of Israel’s tribes? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. 18The LORD sent you on a mission, instructing you, ‘Go, and put the sinful Amalekites under the ban. Fight against them until you’ve wiped them out.’ 19Why didn’t you obey the LORD? You did evil in the LORD’s eyes when you tore into the plunder!”
20“But I did obey the LORD!” Saul protested to Samuel. “I went on the mission the LORD sent me on. I captured Agag the Amalekite king, and I put the Amalekites under the ban. 21Yes, the troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder—the very best items placed under the ban—but in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”
22Then Samuel replied,
“Does the LORD want entirely burned offerings and sacrifices
as much as obedience to the LORD?
Listen to this: obeying is better than sacrificing,
paying attention is better than fat from rams,
23because rebellion is as bad as the sin of divination;
arrogance is like the evil of idolatry.#15.23 Sym, LXXB; MT evil and idolatry
Because you have rejected what the LORD said,
he has rejected you as king.”
24Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned because I disobeyed the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the troops and obeyed them. 25But now please forgive my sin! Come back with me, so I can worship the LORD.”
26But Samuel said to Saul, “I can’t#15.26 Or won’t return with you because you have rejected what the LORD said, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27Samuel turned to leave, but Saul grabbed at the edge of his robe, and it ripped. 28Then Samuel told him, “The LORD has ripped the kingdom of Israel from you today. He will give it to a friend of yours, someone who is more worthy than you. 29What’s more, the enduring one of Israel doesn’t take back what he says and doesn’t change his mind. He is not a human being who would change his mind.”
30“I have sinned,” Saul said, “but please honor me in front of my people’s elders and before Israel, and come back with me so I can worship the LORD your God.” 31So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshipped the LORD.
32“Bring me Agag the Amalekite king,” Samuel said.
Agag came to him in chains, asking, “Would death have been as bitter as this is?”#15.32 LXX; Heb uncertain
33Samuel said, “Just as your sword left women without their children, now your mother will be childless among women.” Then Samuel cut Agag to pieces in the LORD’s presence at Gilgal.
34Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah. 35Samuel never saw Saul again before he died, but he grieved over Saul. However, the LORD regretted making Saul king over Israel.
Currently Selected:
1 Samuel 15: CEB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
1 Samuel 15
15
Saul Spares Agag of Amalek
1Then Samuel said to Saul, “Adonai sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, listen to the voice of the words of Adonai!
2Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt.
3Now go and strike down Amalek and put all he has under the ban of destruction—so have no pity on him; but kill both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
4So Saul summoned the troops and numbered them in Telaim: 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.
5Saul advanced to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley.
6Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, or else I may destroy you with them—for you showed kindness to all Bnei-Yisrael when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.
7Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah until you come to Shur, which is close to Egypt.
8He captured King Agag of Amalek alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9But Saul and the people spared Agag as well as the best of the sheep, the cattle, even the fatlings and the lambs, and all that was good, since they were not willing to utterly destroy them; everything that was worthless and feeble, they destroyed completely.
10Then the word of Adonai came to Samuel saying:
11“I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” So Samuel was troubled and cried out to Adonai all night long.
12Then Samuel rose early in the morning to confront Saul. But it was reported to Samuel saying, “Saul went to Carmel—for some reason, he erected a monument for himself. Then he turned and went down to Gilgal.”
13Now when Samuel reached Saul, Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of Adonai! I have carried out Adonai’s command.”
14But Samuel said, “Then what is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?”
15“They brought them from the Amalekites,” Saul replied, “for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to Adonai your God—but the rest we have utterly destroyed.”
16“Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what Adonai said to me last night.” “Say on,” he said.
17Then Samuel said, “Isn’t it true, though you were insignificant in your own eyes, that you were made head of the tribes of Israel? Adonai anointed you king over Israel!
18Then Adonai sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and utterly destroy the Amalekites, the sinners, and wage war against them until you annihilate them.’
19Why then did you not obey the voice of Adonai, but rushed greedily onto the spoil—doing what was evil in Adonai’s eyes?”
20“But I did obey the voice of Adonai,” Saul said to Samuel. “I went on the mission on which Adonai sent me, and brought back Agag the king of Amalek—and utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen—the best of what was under the ban of destruction— to sacrifice to Adonai your God in Gilgal.”
22Samuel said: “Does Adonai delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Adonai? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay heed than the fat of rams.
23For rebellion is like the sin of divination and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry. Since you have rejected Adonai’s word, He has also rejected you as king.”
24Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned! For I have transgressed against the word of Adonai and your words—because I feared the people and listened to their voice.
25So now, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship Adonai.”
26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of Adonai, and Adonai has rejected you as king over Israel.”
27As Samuel turned about to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.
28Then Samuel said to him, “Adonai has torn the kingship over Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
29Moreover, the Eternal Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind. For He is not human that He should change His mind.”
30Then Saul said, “I have sinned! But please, honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me until I bow in worship to Adonai your God.”
31So Samuel returned after Saul, and Saul bowed in worship to Adonai.
32Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag the king of Amalek.” Agag approached him in chains, thinking, “Surely bitter death has turned back.”
33Then Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.” Then Samuel cut Agag into pieces before Adonai in Gilgal.
34Samuel then went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.
35Samuel never did see Saul again until the day of his death. Yet Samuel mourned over Saul, while Adonai regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society