¹⁷ And Samuel said, ^(A)“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.

²¹ Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, ^(A)from the least of the tribes of Israel? ^(B)And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

^22 (A)So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

^4 (A)Whoever humbles himself like this child is the ^(B)greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

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.’”

Saul Anointed King

10 ^(A)Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head ^(B)and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince^[a] over ^(C)his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince^[b] over his heritage.

¹⁵ And he said to him, ^(A)“Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, ^(B)my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.”

The Lord's Relentless Judgment on Israel