1 Samuel 15:2–9

²Thus says the Lord of hosts: I will punish the Amalekites for what they did in opposing the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.^{* 3}Now go and attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”^*

⁴So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand soldiers of Judah. ⁵Saul came to the city of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. ⁶Saul said to the Kenites, “Go! Leave! Withdraw from among the Amalekites, or I will destroy you with them, for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites.^{* 7}Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.^{* 8}He took King Agag of the Amalekites alive but utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.^{* 9}Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the cattle and of the fatted calves,^r and the lambs, and all that was valuable and would not utterly destroy them; all that was despised and worthless they utterly destroyed.^*