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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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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