1 Samuel 15:17–33

¹⁷And Samuel saith, ‘Art not thou, if thou art little in thine own eyes, head of the tribes of Israel? and Jehovah doth anoint thee for king over Israel, ¹⁸and Jehovah sendeth thee in the way, and saith, Go, and thou hast devoted the sinners, the Amalekite, and fought against them till they are consumed; ¹⁹and why hast thou not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah—and dost fly unto the spoil, and dost do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah?’ ²⁰And Saul saith unto Samuel, ‘Because—I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, and I go in the way which Jehovah hath sent me, and bring in Agag king of Amalek, and Amalek I have devoted; ²¹and the people taketh of the spoil of the flock and herd, the first part of the devoted thing, for sacrifice to Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.’ ²²And Samuel saith, ‘Hath Jehovah had delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in hearkening to the voice of Jehovah? lo, hearkening than sacrifice is better; to give attention than fat of rams; ²³for a sin of divination is rebellion, and iniquity and teraphim is stubbornness; because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, He also doth reject thee from being king.’

²⁴And Saul saith unto Samuel, ‘I have sinned, for I passed over the command of Jehovah, and thy words; because I have feared the people, I also hearken to their voice; ²⁵and now, bear, I pray thee, with my sin, and turn back with me, and I bow myself to Jehovah.’ ²⁶And Samuel saith unto Saul, ‘I do not turn back with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth reject thee from being king over Israel.’ ²⁷And Samuel turneth round to go, and he layeth hold on the skirt of his upper robe—and it is rent! ²⁸And Samuel saith unto him, ‘Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee to-day, and given it to thy neighbour who is better than thou; ²⁹and also, the Pre-eminence of Israel doth not lie nor repent, for He is not a man to be penitent.’ ³⁰And he saith, ‘I have sinned; now, honour me, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn back with me; and I have bowed myself to Jehovah thy God.’ ³¹And Samuel turneth back after Saul, and Saul boweth himself to Jehovah.

³²And Samuel saith, ‘Bring ye nigh unto me Agag king of Amalek,’ and Agag cometh unto him daintily, and Agag saith, ‘Surely the bitterness of death hath turned aside.’ ³³And Samuel saith, ‘As thy sword bereaved women—so is thy mother bereaved above women;’ and Samuel heweth Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.