1 Samuel 15
English Standard Version
The Lord Rejects Saul
15 And Samuel said to Saul, (A)“The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel (B)in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and (C)devote to destruction[a] all that they have. Do not spare them, (D)but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4 So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to (E)the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. (F)For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 (G)And Saul defeated the Amalekites from (H)Havilah as far as (I)Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive (J)and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 (K)But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves[b] and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.
10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 (L)“I regret[c] that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and (M)has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to (N)Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, (O)“Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, (P)for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
17 And Samuel said, (Q)“Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? (R)Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, (S)“I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 (T)But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said,
(U)“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, (V)to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and (W)idolatry.
Because (X)you have rejected the word of the Lord,
(Y)he has also rejected you from being king.”
24 Saul said to Samuel, (Z)“I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and (AA)return with me that I may bow before the Lord.” 26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. (AB)For you have rejected the word of the Lord, (AC)and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 (AD)As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, (AE)“The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Glory of Israel (AF)will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet (AG)honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, (AH)and return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the Lord.
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully.[d] Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 And Samuel said, (AI)“As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord (AJ)in Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went (AK)to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in (AL)Gibeah of Saul. 35 (AM)And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, (AN)but Samuel grieved over Saul. (AO)And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 15:3 That is, set apart (devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction); also verses 8, 9, 15, 18, 20, 21
- 1 Samuel 15:9 The meaning of the Hebrew term is uncertain
- 1 Samuel 15:11 See also verses 29, 35
- 1 Samuel 15:32 Or haltingly (compare Septuagint); the Hebrew is uncertain
Shmuel Alef 15
Orthodox Jewish Bible
15 Shmuel also said unto Sha’ul, Hashem sent me limeshachacha (to anoint thee) to be Melech over His people, over Yisroel; now therefore shema (pay heed) thou unto the voice of the Divrei Hashem.
2 Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os, I remember that which Amalek did to Yisroel, how he waylaid him on the derech, when he came up from Mitzrayim.
3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both ish and isha, olel, and yonek, shor, seh, gamal, and chamor.
4 And Sha’ul gathered HaAm together, and numbered them at Tela’im, two hundred elef foot soldiers, and ten elef Ish Yehudah.
5 And Sha’ul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.
6 And Sha’ul said unto the Keni, Go, depart, get you away from among the Amaleki, lest I destroy you with them; for ye showed chesed to kol Bnei Yisroel, when they came up out of Mitzrayim. So the Keni moved away from among Amalek.
7 And Sha’ul attacked Amalek from Chavilah until where thou comest to Shur, that is alongside Mitzrayim.
8 And he took Agag Melech Amalek alive, and destroyed with utter cherem destruction kol haAm with the edge of the cherev.
9 But Sha’ul and HaAm spared Agag, and the best of the tzon, and of the bakar, and of the fat bulls, and the fat sheep, and all that was tov, and would not utterly destroy them; but everything that was despised and worthless, that they destroyed with utter cherem destruction.
10 Then came the Devar Hashem unto Shmuel, saying,
11 I greatly regret and relent and reconsider that I have set up Sha’ul to be Melech; for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My Devar. And it grieved Shmuel; and he cried out unto Hashem kol halailah.
12 And when Shmuel rose early to meet Sha’ul in the boker, it was told Shmuel, saying, Sha’ul came to Carmel, and, hinei, he set up a yad (hand, i.e. memorial, monument) for himself. And he turned and went down to Gilgal.
13 And Shmuel came to Sha’ul; and Sha’ul said unto him, Baruch atah l’Hashem; I have carried out the Devar Hashem.
14 And Shmuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the tzon (sheep) in mine ears, and the lowing of the bakar (cattle) which I hear?
15 And Sha’ul said, They have brought them from Amalek; for HaAm spared the best of the tzon and of the bakar, in order to sacrifice unto Hashem Eloheicha; and the rest we have destroyed in utter cherem desruction.
16 Then Shmuel said unto Sha’ul, Stop, and I will tell thee what Hashem hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
17 And Shmuel said, When thou wast katon (little) in thine own eyes, wast thou not made the Rosh Shivtei Yisroel, and Hashem anointed thee Melech over Yisroel?
18 And Hashem sent thee baderech (on a mission), and said, Go destroy with utter cherem destruction the chatta’im (sinners), Amalek, and make war against them until they be consumed.
19 Why then didst thou not obey the voice of Hashem, but didst pounce upon the plunder, and didst harah (the evil) in the eyes of Hasham?
20 And Sha’ul said unto Shmuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of Hashem, and have gone baderech (on the mission) which Hashem sent me, and have brought back Agag Melech Amalek, and have destroyed Amalek with utter cherem destruction.
21 But HaAm took of the plunder the tzon and bakar, the reshit of the cherem to sacrifice unto Hashem Eloheicha at Gilgal.
22 And Shmuel said, Hath Hashem as great chefetz (delight) in olot and zevakhim, as in obeying the voice of Hashem? Hinei, to obey is better than zevach (sacrifice), and to pay heed than the chelev eilim (fat of rams).
23 For meri (rebellion) is as the chattat (sin) of kesem (witchcraft, soothsaying, divination), and stubbornness is as heathenish iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the Devar Hashem, He hath also rejected thee from being Melech.
24 And Sha’ul said unto Shmuel, Chatati (I have sinned): for I have transgressed the commandment of Hashem, and thy words: because I feared HaAm, and listened to their voice.
25 Therefore, now, pardon my sin, and turn back with me, that I may worship Hashem.
26 And Shmuel said unto Sha’ul, I will not go back with thee: for thou hast rejected the Davar Hashem, and Hashem hath rejected thee from being Melech over Yisroel.
27 And as Shmuel turned about to go away, he [Sha’ul] seized the edge of his me’il (robe, mantle), and he tore (it).
28 And Shmuel said unto him, Hashem hath torn the Mamlechut Yisroel from thee this day, and hath given it to a re’a (neighbor) of thine, that is better than thou.
29 And also the Netzach Yisroel (Eternal One of Israel) will not lie nor relent: for He is not an adam, that He should change His mind.
30 Then he said, Chatati (I have sinned): yet honor me now, before the Ziknei Ami, and before Yisroel, and turn back with me, that I may worship Hashem Eloheicha.
31 So Shmuel turned back after Sha’ul; and Sha’ul worshiped Hashem.
32 Then said Shmuel, Bring ye to me Agag Melech Amalek. And Agag came unto him confidently. And Agag thought, Surely the mar hamavet (bitterness of death) is past.
33 And Shmuel said, As thy cherev hath made nashim childless, so shall immecha be childless among nashim. And Shmuel cut Agag in pieces before Hashem at Gilgal.
34 Then Shmuel went to Ramah; and Sha’ul went up to his bais at Giveat Sha’ul.
35 Until his [Shaul’s] yom mot Shmuel came not again to see him: nevertheless Shmuel mourned for Sha’ul: and Hashem relented that He had made Sha’ul Melech over Yisroel.
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