Saul Defeats Amalek but Disobeys
15 1 Samuel said to Saul, "Our Father sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. Now listen to our Father's words." 2 This is what the Father of heaven's armies says: "I have taken account of what Amalek did to Israel—how he opposed them on the way up from Egypt." 3 Go, strike Amalek and destroy completely all that is theirs. Show no mercy—kill man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.
4 Saul summoned the troops and counted them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers, ten thousand men of Judah. 5 Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Saul told the Kenites, "Go, leave, get down from among the Amalekites, or I'll sweep you away with them. You showed kindness to all Israel's people when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites left from among the Amalekites.
7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He captured Agag, king of the Amalekites, alive, but devoted all the people to destruction with the sword. 9 Saul and the troops spared Agag, the best sheep and cattle, the fat ones and lambs — everything good. They refused to destroy them, but devoted all that was despised and worthless to destruction.
10 Then the word of our Father came to Samuel:
11 "I regret making Saul king; he has turned back from following me and hasn't done what I commanded." Samuel was angry and cried out to our Father all night. a a v11 When our Father says he "regrets" making Saul king, he is not admitting a mistake but expressing real grief over Saul's turning away — as verse 29 makes clear, he does not change his mind the way a man does.
12 Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, and was told, "Saul went to Carmel and set up a monument for himself, then turned and went down to Gilgal."
13 Samuel came to Saul. Saul said, "May our Father bless you! I have carried out our Father's command."
14 But Samuel said, "What is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of cattle I hear?"
15 Saul said, "They brought them from the Amalekites; the troops spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to your Father, but devoted the rest to destruction."
16 Samuel told Saul, "Stop—let me tell you what our Father said to me last night." "Speak," said Saul.
17 Samuel said, "Though small in your own eyes, did you not become head of Israel's tribes? Our Father anointed you king over Israel," 18 and our Father sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go, devote the sinners, the Amalekites, to destruction; fight against them until you finish them off.' 19 Why did you not obey the voice of our Father? You pounced on the plunder and did evil in the eyes of our Father.
20 Saul said to Samuel, "I did obey our Father's voice! I went on the mission our Father sent me on, brought back Agag king of Amalek, and devoted the Amalekites to destruction." 21 But the troops took the best sheep and cattle from the plunder, devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to your Father at Gilgal.
22 Samuel said, "Does our Father delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of our Father? To obey is better than sacrifice, to listen better than the fat of rams." 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of our Father, he has rejected you from being king."
24 Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the command of our Father and your words, since I feared the people and obeyed them." 25 Now please, forgive my sin and return with me, so that I may worship our Father."
26 Samuel said to Saul, "I won't return with you. You rejected our Father's word, and our Father has rejected you as king over Israel." 27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the hem of Samuel's robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, "Our Father has torn Israel's kingdom from you today and given it to a companion better than you." 29 The Glory of Israel, our Father, will not lie or change his mind, for he is not a man who should change his mind.
30 Saul said, "I have sinned, but please honor me now before my people's elders and before Israel; return with me, so I may worship your Father."
31 So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped our Father. 32 Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites." Agag came to him confidently, thinking, "Surely the danger of death is past."
33 Samuel said, "As your sword made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women." Then he cut Agag to pieces before our Father at Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel never saw Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And our Father regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
