1 Samuel 15
1 Samuel said to Saul, "Jehovah sent me to anoint you to be king over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of the words of Jehovah.
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 Jehovah of hosts, 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt.
‘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 go and strike Amalek and put them and everything that belongs to them under the ban. And do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"
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 Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
And so, Saul instructed the people, and he numbered them like lambs: two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 Saul came to the city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.
And when Saul had arrived as far as the city of Amalek, he placed ambushes at the torrent.
6 Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among Amalek, lest I sweep you away with them; for you showed kindness to the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among Amalek.
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 Saul struck Amalek, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt.
And Saul struck down Amalek, from Havilah even until you arrive at Shur, which is opposite the region of Egypt.
8 He took Agag the king of Amalek alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
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 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and the cattle, and the fat ones and the lambs, and all that was good, and wouldn't utterly destroy them; but everything that was despised and rejected, that they utterly destroyed.
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 Jehovah came to Samuel, saying,
Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying
11 "It grieves me that I have made Saul king; for he has turned back from following me, and has not carried out my commandments." And Samuel was angry; and he cried to Jehovah all night.
“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 Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and look, he set up a monument for himself, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal." And Samuel came to Saul, and look, he was offering up a burnt offering to Jehovah, the best of the spoils which he had brought from Amalek.
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 Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, "You are blessed by Jehovah. I have performed the commandment of Jehovah."
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 Samuel said, "Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?"
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, "I have brought them from Amalek; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle to sacrifice to Jehovah your God, and I have utterly destroyed the rest."
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, "Stay, and I will tell you what Jehovah has said to me last night." He said to him, "Say on."
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 Samuel said, "Though you were little in your own sight, weren't you made the head of the tribes of Israel? Jehovah anointed you king over Israel;
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 Jehovah sent you on a journey, and said to you, 'Go, and utterly destroy those sinners, Amalek, and fight against them until you have destroyed them.'
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 obey the voice of Jehovah, but took the spoils, and did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah?"
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 Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed Amalek.
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 of the spoil, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Jehovah your God in Gilgal."
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 Samuel said, "Has Jehovah as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Look, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
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 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Jehovah, he has also rejected you from being king."
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 Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Jehovah, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
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 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah."
But now, I beg you, to bear my sin, and to return with me, so that I may adore the Lord.”
26 Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected you from being king over Israel."
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 As Samuel turned about to go away, he grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore.
And Samuel turned away, so that he might depart. But Saul took hold of the edge of his cloak, and it tore.
28 Samuel said to him, "Jehovah has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.
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 And also the Eternal One of Israel will not retract or change his mind; for he is not a man that he should change his mind."
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: yet please honor me now before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Jehovah your God."
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 So Samuel went back with Saul; and he worshiped Jehovah.
Therefore, Samuel turned again after Saul. And Saul adored the Lord.
32 Then Samuel said, "Bring here to me Agag the king of Amalek." And Agag came to him trembling. And Agag said, "Surely death is bitter."
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 Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women." Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.
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 to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah.
Then Samuel went away to Ramah. But Saul ascended to his house at Gibeah.
35 And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul. And Jehovah grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
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.
