1 Samuel

¹Samuel said to Saul, 'The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen carefully to his message.'

²'This is what the LORD of Hosts says: I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they ambushed them on the road as they were coming out of Egypt.'

³'Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them — kill men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'

⁴Saul mustered his forces at Telaim — two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah.

⁵Saul went to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the ravine.

⁶Then Saul warned the Kenites, 'Move away and leave the Amalekites so that I do not harm you along with them. You showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.' So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

⁷Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt.

⁸He captured Agag, the king of the Amalekites, alive, but put all the people to death with the sword.

⁹But Saul and the army spared Agag and kept the best sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs — everything that was good. They only destroyed what was worthless or of poor quality.

¹⁰Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel:

¹¹'I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.' Samuel was deeply troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all through the night.

¹²Early the next morning Samuel went to meet Saul. He was told, 'Saul has gone to Carmel. He has set up a monument to himself there and has moved on to Gilgal.'

¹³When Samuel reached Saul, Saul greeted him cheerfully: 'The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD's instructions.'

¹⁴But Samuel replied, 'Then what is all that bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?'

¹⁵Saul answered, 'The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites. They spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.'

¹⁶'Stop,' Samuel said. 'Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.' 'Go ahead,' Saul replied.

¹⁷Samuel said, 'Even though you once thought little of yourself, did the LORD not anoint you king over Israel?'

¹⁸'The LORD sent you on a mission and said: Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight them until every last one is dead.'

¹⁹'Why then did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do what was evil in his sight?'

²⁰Saul said, 'But I did obey the LORD! I went on the mission the LORD gave me, brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and totally destroyed the Amalekites.'

²¹'The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder — the best of what was supposed to be destroyed — to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.'

²²But Samuel replied, 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen is better than the fat of rams.'

²³'Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness is as wicked as idolatry. Because you rejected the LORD's command, he has rejected you as king.'

²⁴Saul admitted, 'I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and gave in to them.'

²⁵'Please forgive my sin and come back with me so I can worship the LORD.'

²⁶But Samuel said, 'I will not go back with you. You rejected the LORD's command, and the LORD has rejected you as king of Israel.'

²⁷As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore.

²⁸Samuel said, 'The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone better than you.'

²⁹'The Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, because he is not human — he does not change his mind.'

³⁰Saul said, 'I have sinned. But please honor me in front of my people's elders and before Israel. Come back with me so I can worship the LORD your God.'

³¹So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

³²Then Samuel said, 'Bring Agag, king of the Amalekites, to me.' Agag came to him confidently, thinking, 'Surely the bitterness of death is past.'

³³But Samuel said, 'Your sword has made women childless, and now your own mother will be childless among women.' And Samuel put Agag to death before the LORD at Gilgal.

³⁴Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul returned to his home at Gibeah.

³⁵Samuel never again visited Saul until the day he died, though he mourned deeply for him. And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.