1 撒母耳对扫罗说： "耶和华差遣我膏立你作他子民以色列的王， 所以现在你要听耶和华的话。 2 万军之耶和华这样说： ‘以色列人从埃及上来的时候， 亚玛力人对他们所行的， 在路上攻击他们的事， 我必要惩罚。 3 现在你要去攻打亚玛力人， 彻底毁灭他们所有的一切， 不可怜惜他们。无论男女、孩童， 或吃奶的婴儿， 牛羊、骆驼、驴子， 都要杀死。’" 4 于是扫罗招聚众人， 在提拉因数点他们， 共有步兵二十万， 另有犹大人一万。 5 扫罗到了亚玛力人的城市， 就在山谷中设下伏兵。 6 扫罗又对基尼人说： "你们走吧！ 离开亚玛力人下去吧！ 免得我把你们与他们一同消灭。因为以色列众人从埃及上来的时候， 你们曾经以慈爱待他们。"于是基尼人离开亚玛力人去了。 7 扫罗击杀亚玛力人， 从哈腓拉直到埃及东的书珥， 8 生擒了亚玛力人的王亚甲， 用刀杀灭了所有人民。 9 但扫罗和众人怜惜亚甲， 也爱惜上好的牛羊、肥牛犊、羊羔和一切美好的东西。他们不愿彻底毁灭这些； 凡是卑贱的、没有价值的， 他们就彻底毁灭。 10 耶和华的话临到撒母耳说： 11 "我后悔立了扫罗为王， 因为他已经离去不跟随我， 也不执行我的命令了。"撒母耳非常忿怒， 整夜哀求耶和华。 12 撒母耳清早起来， 要在早晨去见扫罗； 有人告诉撒母耳： "扫罗到了迦密， 在那里为自己立了一座纪念碑， 然后转身下到吉甲去了。" 13 撒母耳到了扫罗那里， 扫罗对他说： "愿耶和华赐福给你！ 我已经执行了耶和华的命令。" 14 撒母耳说： "我耳中听见有羊叫牛鸣的声音， 到底是什么呢？" 15 扫罗回答： "这是众民从亚玛力人那里带来的， 因为他们爱惜这些上好的牛羊， 要献给耶和华你的 神为祭； 其余的， 我们都已经彻底毁灭了。" 16 撒母耳对扫罗说： "住口吧！ 让我把耶和华昨天晚上对我所说的话告诉你。"扫罗对他说： "请说。" 17 撒母耳说： "从前你虽然自以为微小， 不是作了以色列众支派的首领吗？耶和华膏立了你作以色列的王， 18 差遣你去， 说： ‘你去彻底毁灭那些犯罪的亚玛力人， 攻打他们， 直到把他们全部毁灭。’ 19 你为什么没有听从耶和华的话， 急于夺取战利品， 作了耶和华看为恶的事呢？" 20 扫罗回答撒母耳： "我实在听从了耶和华的话， 行了耶和华差遣我行的路； 我把亚玛力人的王亚甲带了回来， 又把亚玛力人都彻底毁灭了。 21 可是众民却从那些战利品中， 取了应当毁灭之物中上好的牛羊， 要在吉甲献给耶和华你的 神为祭。" 22 撒母耳说： "耶和华喜悦燔祭和平安祭， 岂像喜悦人听从耶和华的话呢？听从胜过献祭， 听命胜过公羊的脂油。 23 因为悖逆与行邪术的罪相同， 顽梗与拜虚无偶像一样， 因为你弃绝了耶和华的话， 耶和华也弃绝了你作王。" 24 于是扫罗对撒母耳说： "我犯了罪了， 我违背了耶和华的命令和你的话， 因为我害怕众人， 听从了他们的话。 25 现在求你赦免我的罪， 与我一同回去， 我好敬拜耶和华。" 26 撒母耳回答扫罗： "我不与你一同回去， 因为你弃绝了耶和华的话， 耶和华也弃绝你作以色列的王。" 27 撒母耳转身要走， 扫罗拉着他外袍的衣边， 衣边就撕裂了。 28 撒母耳就对他说： "今天耶和华把以色列国从你身上撕裂， 赐给比你更好的人。 29 以色列的大能者必不说谎， 也不后悔。因为他不是世人， 他决不后悔。" 30 扫罗说： "我犯了罪了， 但是求你在我人民的长老面前和以色列人面前给我面子， 与我一同回去， 我好敬拜耶和华你的 神。" 31 于是撒母耳跟着扫罗回去， 扫罗就敬拜耶和华。 32 随后撒母耳说： "把亚玛力人的王亚甲带到我这里来！ "亚甲欢欢喜喜走到他面前， 心里说： "死亡的痛苦必定过去了！ " 33 撒母耳说： "你的刀怎样使妇人丧子， 你的母亲在妇人中也要怎样丧子。"于是撒母耳在吉甲， 在耶和华面前把亚甲斩成碎块。 34 后来撒母耳回拉玛去， 扫罗也上他所住的基比亚自己的家去了。 35 撒母耳直到死的日子， 再没有看见扫罗。撒母耳为扫罗悲伤， 因为耶和华后悔立了扫罗作以色列的王。

1 And Samuel saith unto Saul, `Me did Jehovah send to anoint thee for king over His people, over Israel; and now, hearken to the voice of the words of Jehovah:2 `Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, I have looked after that which Amalek did to Israel, that which he laid for him in the way in his going up out of Egypt.3 Now, go, and thou hast smitten Amalek, and devoted all that it hath, and thou hast no pity on it, and hast put to death from man unto woman, from infant unto suckling, from ox unto sheep, from camel unto ass.`4 And Saul summoneth the people, and inspecteth them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand [are] men of Judah.5 And Saul cometh in unto a city of Amalek, and layeth wait in a valley;6 and Saul saith unto the Kenite, `Go, turn aside, go down from the midst of Amalek, lest I consume thee with it, and thou didst kindness with all the sons of Israel, in their going up out of Egypt;` and the Kenite turneth aside from the midst of Amalek.7 And Saul smiteth Amalek from Havilah -- thy going in to Shur, which [is] on the front of Egypt,8 and he catcheth Agag king of Amalek alive, and all the people he hath devoted by the mouth of the sword;9 and Saul hath pity -- also the people -- on Agag, and on the best of the flock, and of the herd, and of the seconds, and on the lambs, and on all that [is] good, and have not been willing to devote them; and all the work, despised and wasted -- it they devoted.10 And the word of Jehovah is unto Samuel, saying,11 `I have repented that I caused Saul to reign for king, for he hath turned back from after Me, and My words he hath not performed;` and it is displeasing to Samuel, and he crieth unto Jehovah all the night.12 And Samuel riseth early to meet Saul in the morning, and it is declared to Samuel, saying, `Saul hath come in to Carmel, and lo, he is setting up to himself a monument, and goeth round, and passeth over, and goeth down to Gilgal.`13 And Samuel cometh in unto Saul, and Saul saith to him, `Blessed [art] thou of Jehovah; I have performed the word of Jehovah.`14 And Samuel saith, `And what [is] the noise of this flock in mine ears -- and the noise of the herd which I am hearing?`15 And Saul saith, `From Amalek they have brought them, because the people had pity on the best of the flock, and of the herd, in order to sacrifice to Jehovah thy God, and the remnant we have devoted.`16 And Samuel saith unto Saul, `Desist, and I declare to thee that which Jehovah hath spoken unto me to-night;` and he saith to him, `Speak.`17 And 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,18 and 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;19 and 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?`20 And 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;21 and 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.`22 And 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;23 for 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.`24 And 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;25 and now, bear, I pray thee, with my sin, and turn back with me, and I bow myself to Jehovah.`26 And 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.`27 And Samuel turneth round to go, and he layeth hold on the skirt of his upper robe -- and it is rent!28 And 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;29 and also, the Pre-eminence of Israel doth not lie nor repent, for He [is] not a man to be penitent.`30 And 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.`31 And Samuel turneth back after Saul, and Saul boweth himself to Jehovah;32 and 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.`33 And Samuel saith, `As thy sword bereaved women -- so is thy mother bereaved above women;` and Samuel heweth Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal.34 And Samuel goeth to Ramath, and Saul hath gone unto his house -- to Gibeah of Saul.35 And Samuel hath not added to see Saul till the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul, and Jehovah repented that He had caused Saul to reign over Israel.