1 Samuel 15:20-29

English Standard Version

²⁰And Saul said to Samuel, ^(A)“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^(B)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.” ²²And 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 listen than the fat of rams.
²³For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
    and presumption is as iniquity and ^(E)idolatry.
Because ^(F)you have rejected the word of the Lord,
    ^(G)he has also rejected you from being king.”

²⁴Saul said to Samuel, ^(H)“I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. ²⁵Now therefore, please pardon my sin and ^(I)return with me that I may bow before the Lord.” ²⁶And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. ^(J)For you have rejected the word of the Lord, ^(K)and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” ²⁷^(L)As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸And Samuel said to him, ^(M)“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. ²⁹And also the Glory of Israel ^(N)will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.”