Saul’s Disobedience

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “(A)The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the [a]words of the Lord. This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘I will [b]punish Amalek (B)for what he did to Israel, in that he obstructed him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and (C)completely destroy everything that he has, and do not spare him; but (D)put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 15:1 Lit sound of the words
  2. 1 Samuel 15:2 Or visit

Samuel rejects Saul’s kingship

15 Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. Listen now to the Lord’s words! This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says: I am going to punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel: how they attacked the Israelites as they came up from Egypt. So go! Attack the Amalekites; put everything that belongs to them under the ban.[a] Spare no one. Kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 15:3 A technique of holy war that often involves total destruction, in which everything that is destroyed is dedicated to the deity who helps in the battle; also in 15:8-9, 15, 18, 20-21.