Saul's Unlawful Sacrifice

(A)He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” 13 And Samuel said to Saul, (B)“You have done foolishly. (C)You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now (D)your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man (E)after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince[a] over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:14 Or leader

Saul[a] waited seven days for the appointment set by Samuel. When Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal, as the people began to scatter from Saul,[b] Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering and the peace offering to me,” and he offered the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to meet and greet him.

11 Samuel said, “What have you done?”

Saul replied, “When? I saw that the people were scattering from me, that you didn’t come at the appointed time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash. 12 I[c] thought, ‘The Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal but I’ve not sought the favor of the Lord,’ so I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”

13 Then Samuel told Saul, “You have acted foolishly. You haven’t obeyed the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever, 14 but now your kingdom won’t be established. The Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as Commander-in-Chief[d] over his people because you didn’t obey that which the Lord commanded you.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:8 Lit. He
  2. 1 Samuel 13:8 Lit. him
  3. 1 Samuel 13:12 Or When I … Michmash, 12 I
  4. 1 Samuel 13:14 Lit. Nagid; i.e. a senior officer entrusted with dual roles of operational oversight and administrative authority