1 Samuel 15
World English Bible
15 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.[a] 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.
Footnotes
- 15:23 teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.
1 Samuel 15
International Standard Version
Saul Disobeys the Lord
15 Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel. Now listen to the words[a] of the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘I’ll punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, when he set himself against Israel[b] in the way, as they were going up from Egypt. 3 Now, go and attack Amalek. Completely destroy[c] all that they have. Don’t spare them, but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, both ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4 Saul summoned the people and mustered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men from Judah. 5 Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. 6 Saul told the Kenites, “Withdraw from the Amalekites so that I don’t destroy you with them, for you showed kindness to all the Israelis when they departed from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites. 7 Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He captured alive Agag king of Amalek, but he completely destroyed all the people, executing them with swords. 9 Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle—the fattened animals and lambs—along with all that was good. They were not willing to completely destroy them, but they did completely destroy everything that was worthless and inferior.
The Lord Rejects Saul
10 This message from the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my commands.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all night.
12 Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, but Samuel was told, “Saul went up to Carmel to set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and traveled on to Gilgal.”
13 Samuel approached Saul. “May the Lord bless you,” Saul said. “I’ve carried out the Lord’s command.”
14 Samuel said, “Then what is this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of cattle that I hear?”
15 Saul replied, “They brought them from the Amalekites. The people spared the best of the sheep and cattle to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God, and the rest they completely destroyed.”
16 “Be quiet!” Samuel said. “I’ll tell you what the Lord told me last night.”
Saul told him, “Speak.”
17 So Samuel replied, “Is it not true that though you were small in your own eyes you became head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel? 18 The Lord sent you on a mission: ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they’re destroyed.’ 19 Why didn’t you obey the Lord, but grabbed the spoil and did evil in the Lord’s sight?”
20 Saul told Samuel, “I did obey the Lord. I went on the mission on which the Lord sent me, I brought Agag king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21 The people took some of the spoil—sheep, cattle, and the best of what was to be completely destroyed—to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
22 Samuel said,
“Does the Lord delight as much in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obeying the Lord?
Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay attention is better[d] than the fat of rams.
23 Indeed, rebellion is the sin of divination,
and arrogance is iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected this message from the Lord,
he has rejected you from being king.”
24 “I’ve sinned,” Saul replied to Samuel. “I’ve broken the Lord’s command and your word, because I was afraid of the people and listened to them. 25 Now, please forgive my sin and return with me so I may worship the Lord.”
26 Samuel told Saul, “I won’t return with you because you have rejected the message from the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27 As Samuel turned to go Saul[e] seized him by the corner of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel told him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. 29 Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he’s not a man that he should change his mind.”
30 “I’ve sinned,” Saul[f] said. “But please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 Samuel returned, following Saul, and Saul worshipped the Lord.
Samuel Executes King Agag
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of Amalek to me.”
Agag came to him in fetters, saying to himself,[g] “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
33 Samuel said, “Just as your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” Then Samuel cut Agag into pieces in the Lord’s presence in Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul, and the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 15:1 Lit. the sound of the words
- 1 Samuel 15:2 Lit. him
- 1 Samuel 15:3 The Heb. term destroy involved consecration of things or people to the Lord either by destruction or by an offering; and so throughout the chapter
- 1 Samuel 15:22 The Heb. lacks is better
- 1 Samuel 15:27 Lit. he
- 1 Samuel 15:30 Lit. He
- 1 Samuel 15:32 The Heb. lacks to himself
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
