15:1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “I was the one whom the LORD sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the LORD says.¹ 15:2 Here is what the LORD of hosts says: ‘I have carefully noted what the Amalekites did to Israel by opposing them on the way as they came up from Egypt. 15:3 So go now and strike down the Amalekites. Destroy everything that they have. Don’t have any compassion of them. Put them to death—man, woman, child, infant, ox, sheep, camel, and donkey alike.’”

15:4 So Saul assembled² the people and mustered them at Telaim. There were 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. 15:5 Saul proceeded to the city³ of Amalek, where he set an ambush⁴ in the wadi. 15:6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go on and leave! Go down from the midst of the Amalekites, lest I sweep you away⁵ with them! For you dealt kindly with all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from the midst of the Amalekites.

15:7 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to⁶ Shur which is adjacent to Egypt. 15:8 He captured Agag king of the Amalekites alive, but he exterminated all his people with the sword. 15:9 However, Saul and the army had compassion on Agag and on the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings,⁷ the lambs, and on everything else that was of worth.⁸ He was not willing to annihilate them. But they exterminated everything that was despised⁹ and worthless.

15:10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel saying, 15:11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not done what I said.” Samuel became angry, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.

15:12 Then Samuel got up early to meet Saul the next morning. But Samuel was informed, “Saul has gone to Carmel where he is setting up a monument for himself. Then he left¹⁰ and went down to Gilgal.”¹¹ 15:13 When Samuel came to him,¹² Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you! I have done what the LORD said.”

15:14 Samuel replied, “If that is the case, what then is this sound of sheep in my ears? And the sound of cattle that I hear?” 15:15 Saul said, “They were brought from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle in order to sacrifice to the LORD our God. But everything else we annihilated.”

15:16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait a minute! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” He¹³ said to him, “Tell me.” 15:17 Samuel said, “Is it not the case that when you were insignificant by even your own reckoning, you became head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you as king over Israel. 15:18 The LORD sent you on a journey saying, ‘Go and annihilate those sinful Amalekites and fight with them until you¹⁴ have destroyed them.’ 15:19 Why haven’t you paid attention to the voice of the LORD? Instead you have greedily darted to the spoil, doing something evil in the LORD’s estimation.”

15:20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “But I have paid attention to the voice of the LORD! I went on the journey that the LORD sent me on. I brought back Agag king of the Amalekites, after annihilating the Amalekites. 15:21 But the army took some of the flocks and cattle—the best of what was to be destroyed—to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

15:22 Then Samuel said,

“Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as he does in obedience to his voice?¹⁵
Obeying is better than sacrifice;
paying attention is better than¹⁶ the fat of rams.
15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and presumption is like the iniquity of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you from being king.”

15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed what the LORD commanded¹⁷ and what you said as well. For I was afraid of the army, and I paid attention to what they were saying. 15:25 Now please forgive my sin. Go back with me so that I can worship the LORD.”

15:26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

15:27 Then Samuel turned to leave. But he¹⁸ grabbed the edge of his robe, and it tore. 15:28 Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day! He will give it to one of your colleagues who is better than you! 15:29 The eminent one of Israel does not deal falsely nor does he change his mind. For he is not a human being who changes his mind.” 15:30 He¹⁹ again replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me and I will worship the LORD your God.” 15:31 So Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshipped the LORD.

15:32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.” So Agag came to him trembling,²⁰ thinking to himself,²¹ “Surely death is bitter!”²² 15:33 Samuel said, “Just as your sword left women childless, so your mother will be most bereaved among women.” Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces there in Gilgal before the LORD.

15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 15:35 Until the day of his death Samuel did not again see Saul. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul. But the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.