1 Samuel 15
15
Israel Defeats the Amalekites
1Then Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. So then, listen to the words#Literally “listen to the voice of the words” of Yahweh! 2Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘I have observed what Amalek did to Israel, how he opposed him#Literally “what he placed against him in the way” when he went up from Egypt. 3So then, go and attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that is his! You must not spare him, but kill both man and woman, both child and nursing infant, both ox and sheep, both camel and donkey.’ ”
4Saul summoned the army and mustered them at Telaim; two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5Then Saul came up to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the wadi.#A valley that is usually dry but contains a stream during the rainy season 6Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, leave! Withdraw from among the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you with them. You have shown loyal love to all the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites left from among the Amalekites. 7Then Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as one goes to Shur which is east of#Literally “upon the face of” Egypt. 8He captured Agag the king of Amalek alive, but all the people he utterly destroyed with the edge#Literally “mouth” of the sword. 9However, Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and the cattle and the second best of the young fatlings and all that was valuable;#Literally “all the good things” they were not willing to utterly destroy them. But all the possessions that were despised or worthless, they utterly destroyed.
Samuel Announces the Downfall of Saul
10Then the word of Yahweh came to Samuel, saying, 11“I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not kept my word.” Samuel became angry,#Literally “it became hot for Samuel” and he cried out to Yahweh all night. 12Then Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and look, he is setting up a monument for himself.” Then he turned around and crossed over and went down to Gilgal.
13When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, “May you be blessed by Yahweh! I have kept the word of Yahweh.” 14But Samuel said, “Then what is this bleating of the sheep that I hear in my ears and the lowing of the cattle that I am hearing?” 15Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; the troops spared the best of the sheep and the cattle in order to sacrifice them to Yahweh your God. But the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop and let me tell you what Yahweh said to me last night.” So he said to him, “Speak.”
17Samuel said, “Even though you are small in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh has anointed you as king over Israel. 18When Yahweh sent you on your way, he said to you: ‘Go! You must utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and you must fight against them until you#The Masoretic Hebrew text reads “they”; LXX, Peshitta, and Targum read “you” have destroyed them.’ 19Why did you not listen to the voice of Yahweh and fall with shouting on the plunder? You have done evil in the sight of Yahweh!” 20Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have listened to the voice of Yahweh, and I have gone on the way that Yahweh sent me! I brought Agag the king of Amalek, and the Amalekites I have utterly destroyed. 21The troops took from the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal.”
22Then Samuel said,
“Is there as much delight for Yahweh in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as there is in obeying#Literally “listening to the voice of” Yahweh?
Look! To obey#Literally “Listening” is better than sacrifice;
to give heed than the fat of rams.
23For rebellion is like the sin of divination;
arrogance is like iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh,
he has rejected you from being king!”
24Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned because I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh#Literally “the mouth of Yahweh” and your words, for I feared the troops and I listened to their voice. 25So then, please pardon my sin and return with me so that I can worship#Literally “so that I can bow down to” Yahweh.” 26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of Yahweh, and he has rejected you from being king over Israel!”
27As Samuel turned around to go, he#That is, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28Then Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.#Literally “the better than you” 29Moreover, the Glory of Israel will not break faith and will not regret, for he is not a human that he should regret.” 30Then he#That is, Saul said, “I have sinned! Now please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so that I can worship#Literally “so that I can bow down to” Yahweh your God.” 31So Samuel returned after Saul, and Saul worshiped#Literally “bowed down to” Yahweh.
32Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of Amalek out to me!” Agag came to him confidently,#Or “trembling”; literally “in chains/bonds” (HALOT 609 s.v. 2); the meaning here is uncertain (LXX has “trembling”) for Agag thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is over.”#Literally “has turned aside”; other English versions follow the LXX and Peshitta and omit “has turned aside,” reading “Surely the bitterness of death!”
33Samuel said,
“Just as your sword bereaved women,
so will your mother be bereaved among women!”
Then Samuel hacked Agag to pieces in the presence of Yahweh at Gilgal.
34Then Samuel went to Ramah and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35Samuel did not see Saul again#Literally “did not add to see Saul” until the day of his death, but Samuel mourned over Saul, and Yahweh regretted that he made Saul king over Israel.
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1 Samuel 15: LEB
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Shemu’ĕl Aleph (1 Samuel) 15
15
1And Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “יהוה sent me to anoint you sovereign over His people, over Yisra’ĕl. And now, listen to the voice of the words of יהוה.
2“Thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘I shall punish Amalĕq for what he did to Yisra’ĕl, how he set himself against him on the way when he came up from Mitsrayim.
3Now go, and you shall strike Amalĕq and put under the ban all that he has, and you shall not spare them, and put to death from man to woman, from infant to nursing child, from ox to sheep, from camel to donkey.’ ”
4Then Sha’ul summoned the people and mustered them in Tela’im, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Yehuḏah.
5And Sha’ul came to a city of Amalĕq, and lay in wait in the wadi.
6And Sha’ul said to the Qĕynites, “Go, turn aside, come down from among the Amalĕqites, lest I destroy you with them. For you did show loving-commitment to all the children of Yisra’ĕl when they came up out of Mitsrayim.” So the Qĕynites turned aside from the midst of the Amalĕqites.
7And Sha’ul struck the Amalĕqites, from Ḥawilah all the way to Shur, which is before Mitsrayim.
8And he caught Aḡaḡ sovereign of the Amalĕqites alive, and put under the ban all the people with the edge of the sword.
9But Sha’ul and the people spared Aḡaḡ and the best of the sheep, and the cattle, and the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not put them under the ban. But all goods despised and worthless, that they put under the ban.
10And the word of יהוה came to Shemu’ĕl, saying,
11“I am grieved that I have set up Sha’ul as sovereign, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My words.” And it displeased Shemu’ĕl, and he cried to יהוה all night.
12And Shemu’ĕl rose early in the morning to meet Sha’ul, and it was told to Shemu’ĕl, saying, “Sha’ul went to Karmel, and see, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and passed over, and went down to Gilgal.”
13And Shemu’ĕl came to Sha’ul, and Sha’ul said to him, “Blessed are you of יהוה! I have performed the word of יהוה.”
14But Shemu’ĕl said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the cattle which I hear?”
15And Sha’ul said, “They have brought them from Amalĕq, because the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle, to slaughter to יהוה your Elohim. And the rest we have put under the ban.”
16And Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “Wait, and let me declare to you what יהוה said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
17And Shemu’ĕl said, “Though you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Yisra’ĕl? And did not יהוה anoint you sovereign over Yisra’ĕl?
18“And יהוה sent you on the way, and said, ‘Go, and you shall put under the ban the sinners, the Amalĕqites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’
19“And why did you not obey the voice of יהוה, but swooped down on the spoil, and did evil in the eyes of יהוה?”
20And Sha’ul said to Shemu’ĕl, “I did obey the voice of יהוה, and I went on the way on which יהוה sent me, and brought back Aḡaḡ sovereign of Amalĕq, and I put Amalĕq under the ban.
21“But the people took of the spoil, of the sheep and cattle, the best of that which should have been put under the ban, to slaughter to יהוה your Elohim in Gilgal.”
22Then Shemu’ĕl said, “Does יהוה delight in ascending offerings and slaughterings, as in obeying the voice of יהוה? Look, to obey is better than a slaughtering, to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23“For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of יהוה, He also does reject you as sovereign.”
24And Sha’ul said to Shemu’ĕl, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the mouth of יהוה and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.
25“And now, please pardon my sin, and return with me, and let me bow myself to יהוה.”
26But Shemu’ĕl said to Sha’ul, “I do not return with you, for you have rejected the word of יהוה, and יהוה does reject you from being sovereign over Yisra’ĕl.”
27And as Shemu’ĕl turned around to go away, Sha’ul took hold of the edge of his robe, and it tore.
28And Shemu’ĕl said to him, “יהוה has torn the reign of Yisra’ĕl from you today, and has given it to a neighbour of yours, better than you.
29“Moreover, the Eminence of Yisra’ĕl does not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”
30Then he said, “I have sinned. But esteem me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Yisra’ĕl, and return with me, and I shall bow myself to יהוה your Elohim.”
31And Shemu’ĕl turned back after Sha’ul, and Sha’ul bowed himself to יהוה.
32And Shemu’ĕl said, “Bring Aḡaḡ sovereign of the Amalĕqites here to me.” So Aḡaḡ came to him delightedly, and Aḡaḡ said, “Truly, the bitterness of death has turned aside.”
33And Shemu’ĕl said, “As your sword bereaved women, let your mother be bereaved among women too.” Shemu’ĕl then hewed Aḡaḡ to pieces before יהוה in Gilgal.
34And Shemu’ĕl went to Ramah, while Sha’ul went up to his house at Giḇ‛ah of Sha’ul.
35And Shemu’ĕl did not see Sha’ul again until the day of his death, for Shemu’ĕl mourned for Sha’ul. And יהוה was grieved that He had made Sha’ul to reign over Yisra’ĕl.
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