1 Samuel said to Saul, "Yahweh sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of Yahweh’s words. 2 Yahweh of Armies says, ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way when he came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’"

4 Saul summoned the people, and counted them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 Saul came to the city of Amalek, and set an ambush in the valley. 6 Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7 Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is before Egypt. 8 He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, of the cattle, of the fat calves, of the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to utterly destroy them; but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

10 Then Yahweh’s word came to Samuel, saying, 11 "It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments." Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night.

12 Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and Samuel was told, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, turned, passed on, and went down to Gilgal."

13 Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, "You are blessed by Yahweh! I have performed the commandment of Yahweh."

14 Samuel said, "Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?"

15 Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God. We have utterly destroyed the rest."

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stay, and I will tell you what Yahweh said to me last night."

He said to him, "Say on."

17 Samuel said, "Though you were little in your own sight, weren’t you made the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh anointed you king over Israel; 18 and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then didn’t you obey Yahweh’s voice, but took the plunder, and did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight?"

20 Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed Yahweh’s voice, and have gone the way which Yahweh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal."

22 Samuel said, "Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying Yahweh’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected Yahweh’s word, he has also rejected you from being king."

24 Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Yahweh."

26 Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected Yahweh’s word, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel." 27 As Samuel turned around to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, "Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. 29 Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent."

30 Then he said, "I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God."

31 So Samuel went back with Saul; and Saul worshiped Yahweh. 32 Then Samuel said, "Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me!"

Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

33 Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!" Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Yahweh in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death, but Samuel mourned for Saul. Yahweh grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

1 And Samuel said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee [to be] king over his people, over Israel; now, therefore, hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

2 Thus hath said the LORD of the hosts, I remember [that] which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid [wait] for him in the way when he came up from Egypt.

3 Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare him not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

4 And Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.

5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek and laid wait in the valley.

6 And Saul said unto the Kenite, Go, depart, go out from among those of Amalek lest I destroy you with them, for ye showed mercy to all the sons of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenite departed from among those of Amalek.

7 And Saul smote Amalek from Havilah [until] thou comest to Shur that [is] over against Egypt.

8 And he took Agag, the king of the Amalekites, alive and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings and the lambs and all [that was] good and would not utterly destroy them, but every thing [that was] vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

10 Then the word of the LORD came unto Samuel, saying,

11 It grieves me that I have set up Saul [to be] king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments. And it incensed Samuel, and he cried unto the LORD all night.

12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set himself up a monument and is gone about and passed on and gone down to Gilgal.

13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said unto him, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD; I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

14 Then Samuel said, What [means] then this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

15 And Saul said, They have brought them from Amalek, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

17 And Samuel said, When thou [wast] little in thine own sight, [wast] thou not [made] the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners of Amalek and fight against them until they are consumed.

19 Why then didst thou not hear the voice of the LORD but didst fly upon the spoil and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD and have gone the way which the LORD sent me and have brought Agag, the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the firstfruits of the anathema, to sacrifice them unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

22 And Samuel said, Does the LORD have [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in hearing the voice of the LORD? Behold, to hear [is] better than sacrifice [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion [is] the sin of witchcraft, and to break [the word of the Lord is] iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected thee from [being] king.

24 Then Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and thy words because I feared the people and consented unto their voice.

25 Now, therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin and turn again with me that I may worship the LORD.

26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected thee from being king over Israel.

27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD has rent the kingdom of Israel from thee today and has given it to a neighbour of thine [that is] better than thou.

29 And also the Overcomer of Israel will not lie nor repent concerning this, for he [is] not a man, that he should repent.

30 Then he said, I have sinned; [yet] honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people and before Israel and turn again with me that I may worship the LORD thy God.

31 So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshipped the LORD.

32 Then Samuel said, Bring me Agag, the king of Amalek. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is near.

33 And Samuel said, As thy sword has made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. Then Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.

35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul because the LORD had repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.: