1Then Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you as king over his people, over Israel. Now then, listen to the voice of the words of Yahweh.
2Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘I have taken note of what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way when he came up from Egypt.
3Now go and strike Amalek, and devote to destruction all that he has. Do not spare him, but put to death man and woman alike, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4So Saul summoned the people and mustered them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5Saul came as far as the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley.
6And Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, turn aside, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I sweep you away with them; for you showed loyal love to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites turned aside from among Amalek.
7Then Saul struck down Amalek from Havilah as far as Shur, which is opposite Egypt.
8He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, and devoted all the people to destruction by the edge of the sword.
9But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the flock and the herd, the fatlings and the lambs — all that was good — and they were unwilling to devote them to destruction; but everything despised and worthless, that they devoted to destruction.
10Then the word of Yahweh came to Samuel, saying,
11“I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not carried out my words.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried out to Yahweh all night.
12Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, and it was told to Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and there he set up a monument for himself; then he turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.”
13When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, “Blessed are you to Yahweh! I have carried out the word of Yahweh.”
14But Samuel said, “Then what is this sound of the flock in my ears, and the sound of the herd that I hear?”
15Saul said, “They brought them from the Amalekites, because the people spared the best of the flock and the herd, in order to sacrifice to Yahweh your God; but the rest we devoted to destruction.”
16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Let me tell you what Yahweh spoke to me tonight.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
17And Samuel said, “Though you are small in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? And Yahweh anointed you as king over Israel.
18And Yahweh sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, and devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until you have finished them off.’
19Why then did you not listen to the voice of Yahweh, but pounced on the plunder and did what is evil in the eyes of Yahweh?”
20Saul said to Samuel, “But I did listen to the voice of Yahweh! I went on the mission on which Yahweh sent me; I brought back Agag king of Amalek, and I devoted Amalek to destruction.
21But the people took from the plunder — flock and herd, the best of what was devoted to destruction — to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal.”
22Then Samuel said, “Does Yahweh delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.
23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has rejected you from being king.”
24Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the command of Yahweh and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.
25Now then, please forgive my sin and return with me, that I may bow down to Yahweh.”
26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of Yahweh, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the hem of his robe, and it tore.
28And Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.
29And moreover, the Glory of Israel will not lie nor relent, for he is not a man, that he should relent.”
30Then he said, “I have sinned. Now please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow down to Yahweh your God.”
31So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed down to Yahweh.
32Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of Amalek to me.” And Agag came to him in chains, and Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
33But Samuel said, “As your sword has bereaved women of children, so shall your mother be bereaved among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before Yahweh at Gilgal.
34Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
35And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, for Samuel mourned over Saul; and Yahweh regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
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