1 Samuel 15
The Lord instructed Samuel to tell Saul to destroy Amalek, killing every person and animal, but Saul disobeyed, sparing the king and the best livestock. When Samuel confronted Saul, he claimed to have obeyed the Lord, but Samuel pointed out that obedience is more important than sacrifice, and that Saul's disobedience was like the sin of paganism. Saul admitted his sin and asked Samuel to forgive him and return with him to worship the Lord, but Samuel refused, saying the Lord had rejected Saul as king. Samuel then had Agag, the king of Amalek, brought before him and executed him as punishment for his sins.
1And 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 Lord2‘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 Egypt3Now 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.’ 4And so, Saul instructed the people, and he numbered them like lambs: two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand men of Judah5And when Saul had arrived as far as the city of Amalek, he placed ambushes at the torrent6And 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 Amalek7And Saul struck down Amalek, from Havilah even until you arrive at Shur, which is opposite the region of Egypt8And he apprehended Agag, the king of Amalek, alive. But all the common people he put to death with the edge of the sword9And 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 demolished10Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, sayin11"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 lon12And 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 Amalek13And 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.14And Samuel said, "Then what is this voice of the flocks, which resounds in my ears, and of the herds, which I am hearing?15And 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.16Then 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.17And 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 Israel18And 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.19Why 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.20And 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 Amalek21But 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.22And 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 rams23Therefore, 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.24And 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 voice25But now, I beg you, to bear my sin, and to return with me, so that I may adore the Lord.26And 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.27And Samuel turned away, so that he might depart. But Saul took hold of the edge of his cloak, and it tore28And 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 are29Moreover, 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.30Then 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.31Therefore, Samuel turned again after Saul. And Saul adored the Lord32And 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?33And 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 Gilgal34Then Samuel went away to Ramah. But Saul ascended to his house at Gibeah35And 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
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