¹Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king of his people Israel. Now listen to the Lord’s words. ²This is what the Lord of Armies says: I will punish Amalek for what they did to Israel. They blocked Israel’s way after the Israelites came from Egypt. ³Now go and attack Amalek. Claim everything they have for God by destroying it. Don’t spare them, but kill men and women, infants and children, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys.”

⁴Saul organized the troops, and he counted them at Telaim: 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men from Judah. ⁵Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. ⁶Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Get away from the Amalekites so that I won’t destroy you with them. You were kind to all the Israelites when they came from Egypt.” So the Kenites left the Amalekites.

⁷Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt. ⁸He captured King Agag of Amalek alive. But he claimed all the people for God by destroying them. ⁹Saul and the army spared Agag and the best sheep and cows, the fattened animals, the lambs, and all the best ⸤property⸥. The army refused to claim them for God by destroying them. But everything that was worthless and weak the army did claim for God and destroy.

The Lord Rejects Saul

¹⁰Then the Lord spoke to Samuel: ¹¹“I regret that I made Saul king. He turned away from me and did not carry out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he prayed to the Lord all night. ¹²Early in the morning he got up to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel to set up a monument in his honor. Then he left there and went to Gilgal.”

¹³Samuel came to Saul, who said, “The Lord bless you. I carried out the Lord’s instructions.”

¹⁴However, Samuel asked,

“But what is this sound of sheep in my ears

and this sound of cows that I hear?”

¹⁵Saul answered, “The army brought them from the Amalekites. They spared the best sheep and cows to sacrifice to the Lord your God. But the rest they claimed for God and destroyed.”

¹⁶“Be quiet,” Samuel told Saul, “and let me tell you what the Lord told me last night.”

“Speak,” Saul replied.

¹⁷Samuel said, “Even though you don’t consider yourself great, you were the head of Israel’s tribes. The Lord anointed you king of Israel. ¹⁸And the Lord sent you on a mission. He said, ‘Claim those sinners, the Amalekites, for me by destroying them. Wage war against them until they’re wiped out.’ ¹⁹Why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why have you taken their belongings and done what the Lord considers evil?”

²⁰“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul told Samuel. “I went where the Lord sent me, brought ⸤back⸥ King Agag of Amalek, and claimed the Amalekites for God. ²¹The army took some of their belongings—the best sheep and cows were claimed for God—in order to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

²²Then Samuel said,

“Is the Lord as delighted with burnt offerings and sacrifices

as he would be with your obedience?

To follow instructions is better than to sacrifice.

To obey is better than sacrificing the fat of rams.

²³The sin of black magic is rebellion.

Wickedness and idolatry are arrogance.

Because you rejected the Lord’s word,

he rejects you as king.”

²⁴Then Saul told Samuel, “I have sinned by not following the Lord’s command or your instructions. I was afraid of the people and listened to them. ²⁵Now please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”

²⁶Samuel told Saul, “I will not go back with you because you rejected what the Lord told you. So the Lord rejects you as king of Israel.” ²⁷When Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸Samuel told him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today. He has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. ²⁹In addition, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, because he is not a mortal who changes his mind.”

³⁰Saul replied, “I have sinned! Now please honor me in front of the leaders of my people and in front of Israel. Come back with me, and let me worship the Lord your God.” ³¹Then Samuel turned and followed Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

³²“Bring me King Agag of Amalek,” Samuel said.

Agag came to him trembling.^a“Surely, the bitterness of death is past,”Agag said.

³³But Samuel said, “As your sword made women childless, so your mother will be made childless among women.” And Samuel cut Agag in pieces in the presence of the Lord at Gilgal.

³⁴Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went to his home at Gibeah. ³⁵Samuel didn’t see Saul again before he died, though Samuel mourned over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king of Israel.

16TH CHAPTER

David Chosen to Be King

¹The Lord asked Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul now that I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill a flask with olive oil and go. I’m sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem because I’ve selected one of his sons to be king.”

²“How can I go?” Samuel asked. “When Saul hears about it, he’ll kill me.”

The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³Invite Jesse to the sacrifice. I will reveal to you what you should do, and you will anoint for me the one I point out to you.”

⁴Samuel did what the Lord told him. When he came to Bethlehem, the leaders of the city, trembling with fear, greeted him and said, “May peace be with you.”

⁵“Greetings,” he replied, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy, and come with me to the sacrifice.” He performed the ceremonies for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶When they came, he saw Eliab and thought, “Certainly, here in the Lord’s presence is his anointed king.”

⁷But the Lord told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see.^aHumans look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks into the heart.”

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and brought him to Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.”

⁹Then Jesse had Shammah come to Samuel. “The Lord has not chosen this one either,” Samuel said. ¹⁰So Jesse brought seven ⸤more⸥ of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen ⸤any of⸥ these. ¹¹Are these all the sons you have?”

“There’s still the youngest one,” Jesse answered. “He’s tending the sheep.”

Samuel told Jesse, “Send someone to get him. We won’t continue until he gets here.”

¹²So Jesse sent for him. He had a healthy complexion, attractive eyes, and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go ahead, anoint him. He is the one.” ¹³Samuel took the flask of olive oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers. The Lord’s Spirit came over David and stayed with him from that day on. Then Samuel left for Ramah.

David Plays the Lyre for Saul

¹⁴Now, the Lord’s Spirit had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. ¹⁵Saul’s officials told him, “An evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶Your Majesty, why don’t you command us to look for a man who can play the lyre well? When the evil spirit from God comes to you, he’ll strum a tune, and you’ll feel better.”

¹⁷Saul told his officials, “Please find me a man who can play well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸One of the officials said, “I know one of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem who can play well. He’s a courageous man and a warrior. He has a way with words, he is handsome, and the Lord is with him.”

¹⁹Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

²⁰Jesse took six bushels of bread, a full wineskin, and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. ²¹David came to Saul and served him. Saul loved him very much and made David his armorbearer. ²²Saul sent ⸤this message⸥ to Jesse, “Please let David stay with me because I have grown fond of him.”

²³Whenever God’s spirit came to Saul, David took the lyre and strummed a tune. Saul got relief ⸤from his terror⸥ and felt better, and the evil spirit left him.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

a 15:32 Or “Agag came to him in shackles.”
a 16:7 Greek; Masoretic Text “Not that which humans see.”