1 Samuel 15
1 And Samuel saith unto Saul, 'Me did Jehovah send to anoint thee for king over His people, over Israel; and now, hearken to the voice of the words of Jehovah:
Samuel also said unto Saul, YHWH sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of YHWH.
2 'Thus said Jehovah 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.
Thus saith YHWH of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
3 Now, go, and thou hast smitten Amalek, and devoted all that it hath, and thou hast no pity on it, and hast put to death from man unto woman, from infant unto suckling, from ox unto sheep, from camel unto ass.'
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 And Saul summoneth the people, and inspecteth them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand [are] men of Judah.
And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 And Saul cometh in unto a city of Amalek, and layeth wait in a valley;
And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
6 and Saul saith unto the Kenite, 'Go, turn aside, go down from the midst of Amalek, lest I consume thee with it, and thou didst kindness with all the sons of Israel, in their going up out of Egypt;' and the Kenite turneth aside from the midst of Amalek.
And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
7 And Saul smiteth Amalek from Havilah — thy going in to Shur, which [is] on the front of Egypt,
And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
8 and he catcheth Agag king of Amalek alive, and all the people he hath devoted by the mouth of the sword;
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 and Saul hath 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.
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
10 And the word of Jehovah is unto Samuel, saying,
Then came the word of YHWH unto Samuel, saying,
11 'I have repented that I caused Saul to reign for king, for he hath turned back from after Me, and My words he hath not performed;' and it is displeasing to Samuel, and he crieth unto Jehovah all the night.
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 YHWH all night.
12 And Samuel riseth early to meet Saul in the morning, and it is declared to Samuel, saying, 'Saul hath come in to Carmel, and lo, he is setting up to himself a monument, and goeth round, and passeth over, and goeth down to Gilgal.'
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
13 And Samuel cometh in unto Saul, and Saul saith to him, 'Blessed [art] thou of Jehovah; I have performed the word of Jehovah.'
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of YHWH: I have performed the commandment of YHWH.
14 And Samuel saith, 'And what [is] the noise of this flock in mine ears — and the noise of the herd which I am hearing?'
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
15 And Saul saith, 'From Amalek they have brought them, because the people had pity on the best of the flock, and of the herd, in order to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God, and the remnant we have devoted.'
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 YHWH thy Elohim; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
16 And Samuel saith unto Saul, 'Desist, and I declare to thee that which Jehovah hath spoken unto me to-night;' and he saith to him, 'Speak.'
Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what YHWH hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
17 And Samuel saith, 'Art not thou, if thou [art] little in thine own eyes, head of the tribes of Israel? and Jehovah doth anoint thee for king over Israel,
And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and YHWH anointed thee king over Israel?
18 and Jehovah sendeth thee in the way, and saith, Go, and thou hast devoted the sinners, the Amalekite, and fought against them till they are consumed;
And YHWH sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
19 and why hast thou not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah — and dost fly unto the spoil, and dost do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah?'
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of YHWH, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of YHWH?
20 And Saul saith unto Samuel, 'Because — I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and I go in the way which Jehovah hath sent me, and bring in Agag king of Amalek, and Amalek I have devoted;
And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of YHWH, and have gone the way which YHWH sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21 and the people taketh of the spoil of the flock and herd, the first part of the devoted thing, for sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.'
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto YHWH thy Elohim in Gilgal.
22 And Samuel saith, 'Hath Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as [in] hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? lo, hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention than fat of rams;
And Samuel said, Hath YHWH as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of YHWH? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 for a sin of divination [is] rebellion, and iniquity and teraphim [is] stubbornness; because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, He also doth reject thee from [being] king.'
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of YHWH, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
24 And Saul saith unto Samuel, 'I have sinned, for I passed over the command of Jehovah, and thy words; because I have feared the people, I also hearken to their voice;
And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of YHWH, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
25 and now, bear, I pray thee, with my sin, and turn back with me, and I bow myself to Jehovah.'
Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship YHWH.
26 And Samuel saith unto Saul, 'I do not turn back with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth reject thee from being king over Israel.'
And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of YHWH, and YHWH hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
27 And Samuel turneth round to go, and he layeth hold on the skirt of his upper robe — and it is rent!
And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
28 And Samuel saith unto him, 'Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee to-day, and given it to thy neighbour who is better than thou;
And Samuel said unto him, YHWH 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 and also, the Pre-eminence of Israel doth not lie nor repent, for He [is] not a man to be penitent.'
And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
30 And he saith, 'I have sinned; now, honour me, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn back with me; and I have bowed myself to Jehovah thy God.'
Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship YHWH thy Elohim.
31 And Samuel turneth back after Saul, and Saul boweth himself to Jehovah;
So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped YHWH.
32 and Samuel saith, 'Bring ye nigh unto me Agag king of Amalek,' and Agag cometh unto him daintily, and Agag saith, 'Surely the bitterness of death hath turned aside.'
Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
33 And Samuel saith, 'As thy sword bereaved women — so is thy mother bereaved above women;' and Samuel heweth Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.
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 YHWH in Gilgal.
34 And Samuel goeth to Ramath, and Saul hath gone unto his house — to Gibeah of Saul.
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
35 And Samuel hath not added to see Saul till the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul, and Jehovah repented that He had caused Saul to reign over Israel.
And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and YHWH repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.
