20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “aI did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the 1mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

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

22 Samuel said,

“aHas the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

As in obeying the voice of the Lord?

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 biniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

cHe has also rejected you from being king.”

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “aI have sinned; bI have indeed transgressed the 1command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.

25 “Now therefore, aplease pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.”

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