1 Samuel 15

Saul Rejected as King

15Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people Israel. ^lNow, listen to the words of the Lord. ²This is what the Lord of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed ^mwhat the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them along the way as they were coming out of Egypt. ⁿ³Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. ^oDo not spare them. Kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ” ^p

⁴Then Saul summoned the troops and counted them at Telaim: 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men from Judah. ⁵Saul came to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the wadi. ⁶He warned the Kenites, ^q“Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, ^rgo on and leave! Get away from the Amalekites, or I’ll sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites.

⁷Then Saul struck down the Amalekites ^sfrom Havilah ^tall the way to Shur, ^uwhich is next to Egypt. ⁸He captured Agag ^vking of Amalek alive, but he completely destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword. ^w9Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, cattle, and choice animals, ^xas well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things.

¹⁰Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, ¹¹“I regret that I made Saul king, ^yfor he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” ^zSo Samuel became angry and cried out to the Lord all night. ^a

¹²Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel ^bwhere he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.” ^c13When Samuel came to him, Saul said, “May the Lord bless you. ^dI have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”

¹⁴Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep ^eand cattle I hear?”

¹⁵Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites and spared the best sheep and cattle in order to offer a sacrifice to the Lord your God, ^fbut the rest we destroyed.” ^g

¹⁶“Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”

“Tell me,” he replied.

¹⁷Samuel continued, “Although you once considered yourself unimportant, ^hhave you not become the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel ¹⁸and then sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have annihilated them.’ ¹⁹So why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why did you rush on the plunder ⁱand do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”

²⁰“But I did obey the Lord!” Saul answered. ^j“I went on the mission the Lord gave me: I brought back Agag, king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. ²¹The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder—the best of what was set apart for destruction—to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” ^k

²²Then Samuel said:

Does the Lord ^ltake pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obeying the Lord?

Look: to obey is better than sacrifice,

to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. ^m

²³For rebellion is like the sin of divination, ⁿ

and defiance is like wickedness ^oand idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

He has rejected you as king. ^p

²⁴Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. ^qI have transgressed the Lord’s command ^rand your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. ²⁵Now therefore, please forgive my sin ^sand return with me so I can worship the Lord.”

²⁶Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the Lord, ^tthe Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” ²⁷When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today ^uand has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. ^v29Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel ^wdoes not lie or change His mind, for He is not man who changes his mind.” ^x

³⁰Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me ^ynow before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the Lord your God.” ^z31Then Samuel went back, following Saul, and Saul bowed down to the Lord.

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

Agag came to him trembling, ^afor he thought, “Certainly the bitterness of death has come.” ^bc

³³Samuel declared:

As your sword has made women childless,

so your mother will be childless among women. ^d

Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.

³⁴Samuel went to Ramah, ^eand Saul went up to his home in Gibeah ^fof Saul. ³⁵Even to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. ^gSamuel mourned for Saul, ^hand the Lord regretted He had made Saul king over Israel.