24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “(A)I have sinned, for (B)I have violated the [a]command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. 25 Now then, (C)please pardon my sin and return with me, so that I may worship the Lord.” 26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for (D)you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 Then Samuel turned to go, but (E)Saul grasped the edge of his robe, and it tore off. 28 So Samuel said to him, “(F)The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. 29 Also the [b](G)Glory of Israel (H)will not lie nor change His mind; for He is not a man, that He would change His mind.” 30 Then Saul said, “I have sinned; (I)but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before all Israel, and go back with me, (J)so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him [c]cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is gone!” 33 But Samuel said, “(K)As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to (L)Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at (M)Gibeah of Saul. 35 And (N)Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, though Samuel (O)mourned for [d]Saul. And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 15:24 Lit mouth
  2. 1 Samuel 15:29 Or Splendor
  3. 1 Samuel 15:32 Or in chains
  4. 1 Samuel 15:35 I.e., God’s rejection of Saul

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