1 Samuel 15:20–28

²⁰Then Saul said to Samuel, “^aI did ¹obey the voice of Yahweh and went on the way on which Yahweh sent me and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek and have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.

²¹“But ^athe people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal.”

²²And Samuel said,

“^aHas Yahweh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

As in obeying the voice of Yahweh?

Behold, ^bto obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.

²³“For rebellion is as the sin of ^adivination,

And insubordination is as ^bwickedness and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh,

^cHe has also rejected you from being king.”

²⁴Then Saul said to Samuel, “^aI have sinned; ^bI have indeed trespassed against the ¹command of Yahweh and your words because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

²⁵“So now, ^aplease forgive my sin and return with me, that I may worship Yahweh.”

²⁶But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for ^ayou have rejected the word of Yahweh, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

²⁷Then Samuel turned to go, but ^aSaul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.

²⁸So Samuel said to him, “^aYahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.