撒母耳記上 15
1 有一天，撒慕爾對撒烏耳說：「上主曾打發我給你傅油，作他人民以色列的君王，如今你應聽上主的話!
And Samuel said unto Saul: 'The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people, over Israel; now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.
2 萬軍的上主這樣說：我要懲罰阿瑪肋克對以色列所行的事，因為當以色列從埃及上來時，攔截了去路。
Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt.
3 如今你去攻打阿瑪肋克，毀滅他們和他們所有的一切，絲毫不可顧惜，要將男女、孩童、嬰兒、牛羊、駱駝和驢，一律殺掉。」
Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.'
4 撒烏耳調集了軍人，在特冷檢閱了他們，計步兵二十萬，猶大人一萬。
And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 撒烏耳來到阿瑪肋克城時，在山谷裏設下了埋伏。
And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.
6 撒烏耳對刻尼人說：「你們起來快走，離開阿瑪肋克人，免得我把你們同他們一起消滅，因為以色列子民由埃及上來時，你們善待了他們。」刻尼人便離開阿瑪肋克人走了。
And Saul said unto the Kenites: 'Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.' So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
7 撒烏耳擊殺哈瑪肋克人，從哈威拉一直殺到埃及東面的叔爾，
And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is in front of Egypt.
8 活捉了阿瑪肋克王阿加格，用刀殺盡了其餘的人民。
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 但撒烏耳和軍民卻憐惜阿加格和最好的牛羊，肥美的家畜和羔羊；凡是美好的，他們都不願毀滅，只把一切不值錢，不要的牲畜毀滅了。
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, even the young of the second birth, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that was of no account and feeble, that they destroyed utterly.
10 那時有上主的話傳於撒慕爾說：「
Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying:
11 我後悔立了撒烏耳為王，因為他背離了我，沒有遵從我的命令。」撒慕爾感到不安，整夜哀求上主。
'It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments.' And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
12 撒慕爾清晨起來去見撒烏耳；有人告訴他說：「撒烏耳去了加爾默耳，在那裏立了紀念碑，然後回來經過這裏，又去了基耳加耳。」
And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying: 'Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he is setting him up a monument, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.'
13 撒慕爾來到撒烏耳那裏，撒烏耳就對他說：「願天主祝福你! 我履行了上主的命令。」
And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him: 'Blessed be thou of the LORD; I have performed the commandment of the LORD.'
14 撒慕爾就問說：「怎麼我耳中聽見有羊叫，有牛嗎﹖」
And Samuel said: 'What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?'
15 撒烏耳回答說：「那是從阿瑪肋克帶回來的，因為人民愛惜那些最好的牛羊，好獻給上主你的天主；至於其餘的，我們都毀滅了。」
And Saul said: 'They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.'
16 撒慕爾對撒烏耳說：「住口! 讓我告訴你，上主昨夜對我說過的話。」撒烏耳答說：「請說罷! 」
Then Samuel said unto Saul: 'Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night.' And he said unto him: 'Say on.'
17 撒慕爾說：「雖然你自以為是最微小的，你豈不是已成了以色列眾支派的首領﹖上主不是曾給你傅油，立你作以色列的君王嗎﹖
And Samuel said: 'Though thou be little in thine own sight, art thou not head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed thee king over Israel;
18 上主派你去打仗，曾吩咐你說：去剿滅那些犯罪的阿瑪肋克人，攻打他們，直至將他們完全消滅。
and the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said: Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
19 為什麼你沒有順聽上主的命令，只顧急忙搶掠財物，行了上主不喜歡的事﹖」
Wherefore then didst thou not hearken to the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst that which was evil in the sight of the LORD?'
20 撒烏耳回答撒慕爾說：「我的確聽從了上主的命令，走了上主指給我的路，擒獲了阿瑪肋克王阿加格，毀滅了阿瑪肋克人。
And Saul said unto Samuel: 'Yea, I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21 但是軍民由當毀滅的勝利品中，選出了最好的牛羊，要在基耳加耳祭獻上主，你的天主。」
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.'
22 撒慕爾回答說：「上主豈能喜歡全燔祭和犧牲，勝過聽從上主的命令﹖聽命勝於祭獻，服從勝過綿羊的肥油脂。
And Samuel said: 'Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearkening to the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 背命等於行卜，頑抗與敬拜偶像無異。因為你拒絕了上主的命令，上主也拒絕了你作王。」
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king.'
24 撒烏耳對撒慕爾說：「我犯了罪，違背了上主的命令和你的話，因我害怕人民，纔聽從了他們的呼聲。
And Saul said unto Samuel: 'I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words; because I feared the people, and hearkened to their voice.
25 現在，請你寬赦我的罪過，同我一起回去；讓我朝拜上主。」
Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.'
26 撒慕爾卻對撒烏耳說：「我不同你回去；既然你拒絕了上主的命令，上主也拒絕你，不要你作以色列王。」
And Samuel said unto Saul: 'I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.'
27 撒慕爾轉身就走，撒烏耳用力抓住他外氅的衣邊，撕下了一塊。
And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it rent.
28 撒慕爾於是對他說：「上主今日從你身上撕下了你的王位，給了一個比你更好的人。
And Samuel said unto him: 'The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
29 並且以色列的光榮絕不發虛言，也不會懊悔，因為他不像人，可以懊悔。」
And also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent.'
30 撒烏耳遂說：「我固然犯了罪，但如今請你在我民族的長老和以色列前，仍尊重我，同我一起回去，好讓我朝拜上主，你的天主。」
Then he said: 'I have sinned; yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.'
31 撒慕爾便隨同撒烏耳一起回去，撒烏耳朝拜了上主。
So Samuel returned after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.
32 以後撒慕爾說：「將阿瑪肋克王阿加格給我解來! 」阿加格到了他那裏，很是高興，阿加格心想：「死亡的苦的確過去了。」
Then said Samuel: 'Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.' And Agag came unto him in chains. And Agag said: 'Surely the bitterness of death is at hand.'
33 撒慕爾對他說：「你的劍怎樣使眾多婦女喪子，你的母親在婦女中也要怎樣喪子。」撒慕爾就在基耳加耳上主面前殺了阿加格。
And Samuel said: As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
34 以後撒慕爾去了辣瑪，撒烏耳也回了撒烏耳的基貝亞本家。
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeath-shaul.
35 撒慕爾至死再沒有見撒烏耳。撒慕爾為了撒烏耳很是傷心，因為上主後悔立了撒烏耳作以色列的君王。
And Samuel never beheld Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul; and the LORD repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.
