¹⁷ Samuel said, “Although you were once small^(A) 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^(B) and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

²⁰ “But I did obey^(C) 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:

²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned.^(G) I violated^(H) the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid^(I) of the men and so I gave in to them. ²⁵ Now I beg you, forgive^(J) my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

²⁶ But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected^(K) the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”

²⁷ As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe,^(L) and it tore.^{(M) 28} Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn^(N) the kingdom^(O) of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.^{(P) 29} He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie^(Q) or change^(R) his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”

³⁰ Saul replied, “I have sinned.^(S) But please honor^(T) me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” ³¹ So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

¹¹ “I am^(A) the good shepherd.^(B) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.^{(C) 12} The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.^(D) Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd;^(E) I know my sheep^(F) and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father^(G)—and I lay down my life for the sheep.^{(H) 16} I have other sheep^(I) that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock^(J) and one shepherd.^{(K) 17} The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life^(L)—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.^(M) I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”^(N)