1 Samuel 15
1 Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king of his people Israel. So now pay attention to what the Lord has to say.
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!
2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: I observed what the Amalekites did to Israel when they ambushed them on their way from Egypt.
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。
3 Go and attack the Amalekites and exterminate all of them. Don't spare anyone, but kill every man, woman, child, and baby; every ox, sheep, camel, and donkey.”
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。」
4 Saul called up his army at Telem. There were 200,000 Israelite infantry and 10,000 men from Judah.
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。
5 Saul advanced on the town of Amalek and set up an ambush in the valley.
撒烏耳來到阿瑪肋克城時，在山谷裏設下了埋伏。
6 Saul sent a message to warn the Kenites, “Move out of the area and leave the Amalekites so that I don't destroy you with them, because you showed kindness to all the people of Israel on their way from Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away and left the Amalekites.
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。
7 Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, to the east of Egypt.
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，
8 He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive, but exterminated all the people by the sword.
活捉了阿瑪肋克王阿加格，用刀殺盡了其餘的人民。
9 Saul and his army spared Agag, together with the best sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and everything else that was any good. They didn't want to destroy those, but they completely destroyed all that was unwanted and worthless.
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。
10 The Lord sent a message to Samuel, saying,
那時有上主的話傳於撒慕爾說：「
11 “I'm sorry I made Saul king, for he has given up following me and hasn't done as I ordered.” Samuel was upset, and he cried out to the Lord all through the night.
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。
12 Samuel got up early in the morning and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul's gone to Carmel. There he's even erected a monument to honor himself, and now he's left and gone down to Gilgal.”
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。」
13 When Samuel caught up with him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord ordered.”
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。」
14 “So what's this bleating of sheep my ears are picking up? What's this lowing of cattle that I'm hearing?” Samuel asked.
撒慕爾就問說：「怎麼我耳中聽見有羊叫，有牛嗎﹖」
15 “The army brought them from the Amalekites,” Saul replied. “They spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we completely destroyed the rest.”
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。」
16 “Oh, be quiet!” Samuel told Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord told me last night.” “Tell me what he said,” Saul replied.
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! 」
17 “Once you didn't use to think much of yourself, but haven't you become the leader of the tribes of Israel?” Samuel asked. “The Lord anointed you king of Israel.
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﹖
18 Then he sent you out to do something, telling you, ‘Go and exterminate those sinners, the Amalekites. Attack them until they're all destroyed.’
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。
19 Why didn't you do what the Lord ordered? Why did you swoop down on the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord's sight?”
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﹖」
20 “But I did do what the Lord ordered!” Saul replied. “I went and did what the Lord sent me to do. I brought back Agag, king of Amalek, and completely destroyed the Amalekites.
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。
21 The army took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was consecrated to God, to sacrifice them to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
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。」
22 “Does the Lord prefer burnt offerings and sacrifices, or obedience to what he says?” Samuel asked. “Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice. Paying attention is more important than offering the fat of rams.
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。
23 Rebellion is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as bad as the sin of idolatry. Because you have rejected the Lord's commands, he has rejected you as king.”
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。」
24 “I have sinned,” Saul confessed to Samuel. “I disobeyed the Lord's orders and your instructions, because I was afraid of the people and followed what they said.
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。
25 So please forgive my sin and come back with me, so I can worship the Lord.”
現在，請你寬赦我的罪過，同我一起回去；讓我朝拜上主。」
26 But Samuel told him, “I'm not going back with you. You have rejected the Lord's orders, and the Lord has rejected you as king of Israel!”
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。」
27 As Samuel turned away to leave, Saul grabbed hold of the hem of his robe, and it ripped.
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。
28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has ripped the kingdom of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor—someone who is better than you!
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。
29 In addition, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind!”
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。」
30 “Yes, I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel—come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.”
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。」
31 So Samuel went back with Saul after all, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
撒慕爾便隨同撒烏耳一起回去，撒烏耳朝拜了上主。
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him confidently, for he thought, “The threat of death of being killed must have passed.”
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。」
33 But Samuel said, “In the same way that your sword has made women childless, so too your mother will be childless among women.” Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
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。
34 Samuel left for Ramah, and Saul went home to Gibeah of Saul.
以後撒慕爾去了辣瑪，撒烏耳也回了撒烏耳的基貝亞本家。
35 Until the day of his death, Samuel never visited Saul again. Samuel mourned over Saul, and the Lord regretted he had made Saul the king of Israel.
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。
