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1 Samuel 15:7-23
Christian Standard Bible
1 Samuel 15:7-23
Christian Standard Bible
7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites(A) from Havilah(B) all the way to Shur,(C) which is next to Egypt. 8 He captured King Agag(D) of Amalek alive, but he completely destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword.(E) 9 Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and choice animals,[a] as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things.
10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, 11 “I regret that I made Saul king,(F) for he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my instructions.”(G) So Samuel became angry and cried out to the Lord all night.(H)
12 Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel(I) where he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.”(J) 13 When Samuel came to him, Saul said, “May the Lord bless you.(K) I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”
14 Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep, goats, and cattle I hear?”
15 Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites and spared the best sheep, goats, and cattle in order to offer a sacrifice to the Lord your God,(L) but the rest we destroyed.”(M)
16 “Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”
“Tell me,” he replied.
17 Samuel continued, “Although you once considered yourself unimportant,(N) haven’t you become the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel 18 and then sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have annihilated them.’ 19 So why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why did you rush on the plunder(O) and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”
20 “But I did obey the Lord!” Saul answered.[b] “I went on the mission the Lord gave me: I brought back King Agag of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21 The troops took sheep, goats, and cattle from the plunder—the best of what was set apart for destruction—to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”(P)
22 Then Samuel said:
Does the Lord(Q) take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
Look: to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.(R)
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,(S)
and defiance is like wickedness(T) and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.(U)
1 Samuel 15:7-23
New International Version
1 Samuel 15:7-23
New International Version
7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites(A) all the way from Havilah to Shur,(B) near the eastern border of Egypt. 8 He took Agag(C) king of the Amalekites alive,(D) and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared(E) Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves[a] and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.
10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret(F) that I have made Saul king, because he has turned(G) away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”(H) Samuel was angry,(I) and he cried out to the Lord all that night.
12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel.(J) There he has set up a monument(K) in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”
13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”
14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”
15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”
16 “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”
“Tell me,” Saul replied.
17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small(L) in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ 19 Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder(M) and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”
20 “But I did obey(N) the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
22 But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,(O)
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,(P)
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected(Q) the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 15:9 Or the grown bulls; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.