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Yahweh Regrets He Made Saul King

10 Then the word of Yahweh came to Samuel, saying, 11 (A)I regret that I have made Saul king, for (B)he has turned back from [a]following Me and has not established My words.” And Samuel became angry and (C)cried out to Yahweh all night. 12 Then Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to (D)Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on [b]down to (E)Gilgal.” 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “(F)Blessed are you of Yahweh! I have established the word of Yahweh.” 14 But Samuel said, “(G)What then is this sound of the sheep in my ears and the sound of the oxen which I am hearing?” 15 And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for (H)the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God; but the rest we have devoted to destruction.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and let me tell you what Yahweh spoke to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

17 And Samuel said, “Is it not true, (I)though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And Yahweh anointed you king over Israel, 18 and Yahweh sent you on a [c]mission and said, ‘(J)Go and devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not [d]obey the voice of Yahweh, (K)but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh?”

20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “(L)I did [e]obey the voice of Yahweh and went on the way on which Yahweh sent me and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek and have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But (M)the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said,

(N)Has Yahweh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of Yahweh?
Behold, (O)to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of (P)divination,
And insubordination is as (Q)wickedness and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh,
(R)He has also rejected you from being king.”

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “(S)I have sinned; (T)I have indeed trespassed against the [f]command of Yahweh and your words because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 So now, (U)please forgive my sin and return with me, that I may worship Yahweh.” 26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for (V)you have rejected the word of Yahweh, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 Then Samuel turned to go, but (W)Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “(X)Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. 29 Also the (Y)Eternal One of Israel (Z)will not lie or have regret; for He is not a man that He should have regret.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; (AA)but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, (AB)that I may worship Yahweh your God.” 31 So Samuel returned, following after Saul, and Saul worshiped Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 15:11 Lit after
  2. 1 Samuel 15:12 Lit and went down
  3. 1 Samuel 15:18 Lit way
  4. 1 Samuel 15:19 Or listen to, cf. 15:14
  5. 1 Samuel 15:20 Or listen to, cf. 15:14
  6. 1 Samuel 15:24 Lit mouth

The Lord Rejects Saul

10 Then the Lord said to Samuel, 11 “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.

12 Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

13 When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”

14 “Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.

15 “It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else.”

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Listen to what the Lord told me last night!”

“What did he tell you?” Saul asked.

17 And Samuel told him, “Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’ 19 Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”

20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. 21 Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

22 But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
    your burnt offerings and sacrifices
    or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
    and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
    and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
    he has rejected you as king.”

Saul Pleads for Forgiveness

24 Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded. 25 But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the Lord.”

26 But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”

27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you. 29 And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”

30 Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel finally agreed and went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

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