1 Samuel 15
1 And Samuel says to Saul, “YHWH sent me to anoint you for king over His people, over Israel; and now, listen to the voice of the words of YHWH.
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.
2 Thus said YHWH of Hosts: I have looked after that which Amalek did to Israel, that which he laid for him in the way in his going up out of Egypt.
This is what the Lord Almighty says: I observed what the Amalekites did to Israel when they ambushed them on their way from Egypt.
3 Now go, and you have struck Amalek, and devoted all that he has, and you have no pity on him, and have put to death from man to woman, from infant to suckling, from ox to sheep, from camel to donkey.”
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.”
4 And Saul summons the people, and inspects them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand [are] men of Judah.
Saul called up his army at Telem. There were 200,000 Israelite infantry and 10,000 men from Judah.
5 And Saul comes to a city of Amalek, and lays wait in a valley;
Saul advanced on the town of Amalek and set up an ambush in the valley.
6 and Saul says to the Kenite, “Go, turn aside, go down from the midst of Amalek, lest I consume you with it, and you did kindness with all the sons of Israel, in their going up out of Egypt”; and the Kenite turns aside from the midst of Amalek.
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.
7 And Saul strikes Amalek from Havilah [to] your going to Shur, which [is] on the front of Egypt,
Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, to the east of Egypt.
8 and he catches Agag king of Amalek alive, and he has devoted all the people by the mouth of the sword;
He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive, but exterminated all the people by the sword.
9 and Saul has pity—also the people—on Agag, and on the best of the flock, and of the herd, and of the seconds, and on the lambs, and on all that [is] good, and have not been willing to devote them; and all the work, despised and wasted—it they devoted.
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.
10 And the word of YHWH is to Samuel, saying,
The Lord sent a message to Samuel, saying,
11 “I have regretted that I caused Saul to reign for king, for he has turned back from after Me, and he has not performed My words”; and it is displeasing to Samuel, and he cries to YHWH all the night.
“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.
12 And Samuel rises early to meet Saul in the morning, and it is declared to Samuel, saying, “Saul has come to Carmel, and behold, he is setting up a monument to himself, and goes around, and passes over, and goes down to Gilgal.”
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.”
13 And Samuel comes to Saul, and Saul says to him, “Blessed [are] you of YHWH; I have performed the word of YHWH.”
When Samuel caught up with him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord ordered.”
14 And Samuel says, “And what [is] the noise of this flock in my ears—and the noise of the herd which I am hearing?”
“So what's this bleating of sheep my ears are picking up? What's this lowing of cattle that I'm hearing?” Samuel asked.
15 And Saul says, “They have brought them from Amalek, because the people had pity on the best of the flock, and of the herd, in order to sacrifice to your God YHWH, and we have devoted the remnant.”
“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.”
16 And Samuel says to Saul, “Desist, and I declare to you that which YHWH has spoken to me tonight”; and he says to him, “Speak.”
“Oh, be quiet!” Samuel told Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord told me last night.” “Tell me what he said,” Saul replied.
17 And Samuel says, “Are you not, if you [are] little in your own eyes, head of the tribes of Israel? And YHWH anoints you for king over Israel,
“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.
18 and YHWH sends you in the way, and says, Go, and you have devoted the sinners, the Amalekite, and fought against them until they are consumed;
Then he sent you out to do something, telling you, ‘Go and exterminate those sinners, the Amalekites. Attack them until they're all destroyed.’
19 and why have you not listened to the voice of YHWH—and fly to the spoil, and do evil in the eyes of YHWH?”
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?”
20 And Saul says to Samuel, “Because—I have listened to the voice of YHWH, and I go in the way which YHWH has sent me, and bring in Agag king of Amalek, and I have devoted Amalek;
“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.
21 and the people take of the spoil of the flock and herd, the first part of the devoted thing, for sacrifice to your God YHWH in Gilgal.”
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.”
22 And Samuel says, “Has YHWH had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as [in] listening to the voice of YHWH? Behold, listening is better than sacrifice; to give attention than fat of rams;
“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.
23 for rebellion [is as] a sin of divination, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and teraphim; because you have rejected the word of YHWH, He also rejects you from [being] king.”
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.”
24 And Saul says to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I passed over the command of YHWH, and your words; because I have feared the people, I also listen to their voice;
“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.
25 and now, please bear with my sin, and return with me, and I bow myself to YHWH.”
So please forgive my sin and come back with me, so I can worship the Lord.”
26 And Samuel says to Saul, “I do not return with you; for you have rejected the word of YHWH, and YHWH rejects you from being king over Israel.”
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!”
27 And Samuel turns around to go, and he lays hold on the skirt of his upper robe—and it is torn!
As Samuel turned away to leave, Saul grabbed hold of the hem of his robe, and it ripped.
28 And Samuel says to him, “YHWH has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and given it to your neighbor who is better than you;
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!
29 and also, the Preeminence of Israel does not lie nor relent, for He [is] not a man that He should relent.”
In addition, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind!”
30 And he says, “I have sinned; now please honor me before [the] elderly of my people and before Israel, and return with me; and I have bowed myself to your God YHWH.”
“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.”
31 And Samuel turns back after Saul, and Saul bows himself to YHWH;
So Samuel went back with Saul after all, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
32 and Samuel says, “Bring Agag king of Amalek to me,” and Agag comes to him daintily, and Agag says, “Surely the bitterness of death has turned aside.”
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.”
33 And Samuel says, “As your sword bereaved women—so is your mother bereaved above women”; and Samuel hews Agag in pieces before YHWH in Gilgal.
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.
34 And Samuel goes to Ramath, and Saul has gone to his house—to Gibeah of Saul.
Samuel left for Ramah, and Saul went home to Gibeah of Saul.
35 And Samuel has not added to see Saul until the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul, and YHWH regretted that He had caused Saul to reign over Israel.
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.
