1 Samuel 15
1. Samuel also said * unto Saul, The LORD sent * me to anoint * thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken * thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.
2. Thus saith * the LORD of hosts, I remember * that which Amalek did * to Israel, how he laid * wait for him in the way, when he came up * from Egypt.
3. Now go * and smite * Amalek, and utterly destroy * all that they have, and spare * them not; but slay * both man and woman, infant and suckling * , ox and sheep, camel and ass.
4. And Saul gathered * the people together * , and numbered * them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5. And Saul came * to a city of Amalek, and laid wait * in the valley.
6. And Saul said * unto the Kenites,Go * , depart * , get you down * from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy * you with them: for ye shewed * kindness to all the children of Israel,when they came up * out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed * from among the Amalekites.
7. And Saul smote * the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest * to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
8. And he took * Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed * all the people with the edge of the sword.
9. But Saul and the people spared * Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs,and all that was good, and would * not utterly destroy * them: but every thing that was vile and refuse * , that they destroyed utterly * .
10. Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying * ,
11. It repenteth * me that I have set up * Saul to be king: for he is turned back * from following me, and hath not performed * my commandments. And it grieved * Samuel; and he cried * unto the LORD all night.
12. And when Samuel rose early * to meet * Saul in the morning, it was told * Samuel, saying * , Saul came * to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up * a place, and is gone about * , and passed on * , and gone down * to Gilgal.
13. And Samuel came * to Saul: and Saul said * unto him, Blessed * be thou of the LORD: I have performed * the commandment of the LORD.
14. And Samuel said * , What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears,and the lowing of the oxen which I hear * ?
15. And Saul said * , They have brought * them from the Amalekites: for the people spared * the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice * unto the LORD thy God; and the rest * we have utterly destroyed * .
16. Then Samuel said * unto Saul,Stay * , and I will tell * thee what the LORD hath said * to me this night.And he said * unto him, Say on * .
17. And Samuel said * , When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed * thee king over Israel?
18. And the LORD sent * thee on a journey, and said * , Go * and utterly destroy * the sinners the Amalekites, and fight * against them until they be consumed * .
19. Wherefore then didst thou not obey * the voice of the LORD, but didst fly * upon the spoil, and didst * evil in the sight of the LORD?
20. And Saul said * unto Samuel,Yea, I have obeyed * the voice of the LORD, and have gone * the way which the LORD sent * me, and have brought * Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed * the Amalekites.
21. But the people took * of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice * unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
22. And Samuel said * , Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying * the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey * is better than sacrifice, and to hearken * than the fat of rams.
23. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness * is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected * the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected * thee from being king.
24. And Saul said * unto Samuel, I have sinned * : for I have transgressed * the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared * the people, and obeyed * their voice.
25. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon * my sin, and turn again * with me, that I may worship * the LORD.
26. And Samuel said * unto Saul, I will not return * with thee: for thou hast rejected * the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected * thee from being king over Israel.
27. And as Samuel turned about * to go away * , he laid hold * upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent * .
28. And Samuel said * unto him, The LORD hath rent * the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given * it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
29. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie * nor repent * : for he is not a man, that he should repent * .
30. Then he said * , I have sinned * : yet honour * me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel,and turn again * with me, that I may worship * the LORD thy God.
31. So Samuel turned again * after Saul; and Saul worshipped * the LORD.
32. Then said * Samuel, Bring ye hither * to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came * unto him delicately. And Agag said * , Surely the bitterness of death is past * .
33. And Samuel said * , As thy sword hath made women childless * , so shall thy mother be childless * among women. And Samuel hewed * Agag in pieces * before the LORD in Gilgal.
34. Then Samuel went * to Ramah;and Saul went up * to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
35. And Samuel came no more * to see * Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned * for Saul: and the LORD repented * that he had made Saul king * over Israel.
