20 And Saul said to Samuel, (A)“But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 (B)But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

22 So Samuel said:

(C)“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, (D)to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of [a]witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
(E)He also has rejected you from being king.”

24 (F)Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I (G)feared the people and obeyed their voice.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 15:23 divination

20 “But I did obey(A) the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

22 But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
    as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,(B)
    and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,(C)
    and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected(D) the word of the Lord,
    he has rejected you as king.”

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned.(E) I violated(F) the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid(G) of the men and so I gave in to them.

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Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for (A)whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap (B)everlasting life.

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Do not be deceived:(A) God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.(B) Whoever sows to please their flesh,(C) from the flesh will reap destruction;(D) whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.(E)

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