1 Samuel 15:4-9

Expanded Bible

⁴ So Saul ·called [mobilized] the army together at Telaim and ·counted [reviewed] them. There were two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. ⁵ Then Saul went to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the ·ravine [valley]. ⁶ He said to the Kenites [Gen. 15:19; Num. 24:21–22; Judg. 4:11; 5:24], “·Go [Move] away. Leave the Amalekites ·so that I won’t [or I will] destroy you with them, because you showed ·kindness [lovingkindness; treaty faithfulness] to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

⁷ Then Saul ·defeated [^Lstruck] the Amalekites. He fought them all the way from Havilah to Shur, ·at the border [east] of Egypt. ⁸ He ·took [captured] King Agag of the Amalekites alive, but he ·killed all of Agag’s army [totally destroyed all the people; 15:3] with the sword. ⁹ Saul and the ·army let Agag live [people spared Agag], along with the best sheep, [^Loxen,] fat cattle, and lambs. They let every ·good [valuable] animal live, because they did not want to ·destroy them [devote them to destruction; 15:3]. But when they found an animal that was ·weak [despised] or useless, they ·killed it [devoted it to destruction].