1 Samuel 15

Saul Is Commanded to Strike Amalek

1Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people, over Israel. And now listen to the voice of the words of the LORD. 2Thus says the LORD of Hosts: I have attended to what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that belongs to him. Do not spare him, but put to death man and woman, child and nursing infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”

Saul Defeats Amalek

4Saul summoned the people and mustered them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the wadi. 6Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, turn aside, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I sweep you away with them, for you showed steadfast love to all the children of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites turned aside from the midst of Amalek. 7Saul struck Amalek from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8He captured Agag king of Amalek alive and devoted all the people to destruction with the edge of the sword. 9But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, cattle, second-born animals, lambs, and all that was good, and they were not willing to devote them to destruction. But everything despised and worthless, that they devoted to destruction.

The LORD Regrets Making Saul King

10Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, 11“I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not established my words.” Samuel became angry, and he cried out to the LORD all night. 12Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, and it was told to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and look, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.”

Saul Claims He Obeyed

13Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you by the LORD! I have established the word of the LORD.” 14Samuel said, “Then what is this sound of sheep in my ears and the sound of cattle that I hear?” 15Saul said, “They brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we devoted to destruction.” 16Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! And I will tell you what the LORD spoke to me this night.” He said to him, “Speak.”

To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice

17Samuel said, “Though you were small in your own eyes, were you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. 18The LORD sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go and devote to destruction the sinners, Amalek, and fight against them until you have finished them.’ 19Why then did you not listen to the voice of the LORD, but swooped down upon the spoil and did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD?” 20Saul said to Samuel, “I did listen to the voice of the LORD. I went on the way that the LORD sent me. I brought Agag king of Amalek, and Amalek I devoted to destruction. 21But the people took from the spoil sheep and cattle, the best of what was devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” 22Samuel said:

“Does the LORD delight
in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in listening
to the voice of the LORD?

Look, to listen is better than sacrifice,
to pay attention
than the fat of rams. 23For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and presumption like wickedness and idols.
Because you rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you from being king.”

Saul Confesses His Sin

24Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I transgressed the command of the LORD and your words because I feared the people and listened to their voice. 25And now, please forgive my sin and return with me so that I may bow down to the LORD.” 26Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

The Kingdom Is Torn from Saul

27As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your companion who is better than you. 29And also the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not a human being that he should change his mind.”

Samuel Returns with Saul

30Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Now please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so that I may bow down to the LORD your God.” 31So Samuel returned after Saul, and Saul bowed down to the LORD.

Samuel Puts Agag to Death

32Samuel said, “Bring near to me Agag king of Amalek.” Agag came to him confidently. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death has turned aside.” 33But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

Samuel and Saul Separate

34Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel mourned for Saul. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.