Saul Disobeys the Lord
1 One day, Samuel told Saul:
The Lord told me to choose you to be king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord: 2 “When the Israelites were on their way out of Egypt, the nation of Amalek attacked them. I am the Lord All-Powerful, and now I am going to make Amalek pay!
3 “Go and attack the Amalekites! Destroy them and all their possessions. Don't have any pity. Kill their men, women, children, and even their babies. Slaughter their cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.”
4 Saul sent messengers who told every town and village to send men to join the army at Telaim. There were 210,000 troops in all, and 10,000 of these were from Judah. Saul organized them, 5 then led them to a valley near one of the towns in Amalek, where they got ready to make a surprise attack. 6 Some Kenites lived nearby, and Saul told them, “Your people were kind to our nation when we left Egypt, and I don't want you to get killed when I wipe out the Amalekites. So stay away from them.”
The Kenites left, 7 and Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, which is just east of Egypt. 8 Every Amalekite was killed except King Agag. 9 Saul and his army let Agag live, and they also spared the best sheep and cattle. They didn't want to destroy anything of value, so they only killed the animals that were worthless or weak.
The Lord Rejects Saul
10 The Lord told Samuel, 11 “Saul has stopped obeying me, and I'm sorry that I made him king.”
Samuel was angry, and he cried out in prayer to the Lord all night. 12 Early the next morning he went to talk with Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to Carmel, where he had a monument built so everyone would remember his victory. Then he left for Gilgal.”
13 Samuel finally caught up with Saul, and Saul told him, “I hope the Lord will bless you! I have done what the Lord told me.”
14 “Then why,” Samuel asked, “do I hear sheep and cattle?”
15 “The army took them from the Amalekites,” Saul explained. “They kept the best sheep and cattle, so they could sacrifice them to the Lord your God. But we destroyed everything else.”
16 “Stop!” Samuel said. “Let me tell you what the Lord told me last night.”
“All right,” Saul answered.
17 Samuel continued, “You may not think you're very important, but the Lord chose you to be king, and you are in charge of the tribes of Israel. 18 When the Lord sent you on this mission, he told you to wipe out those worthless Amalekites. 19 Why didn't you listen to the Lord? Why did you keep the animals and make him angry?”
20 “But I did listen to the Lord!” Saul answered. “He sent me on a mission, and I went. I captured King Agag and destroyed his nation. 21 All the animals were going to be destroyed anyway. That's why the army brought the best sheep and cattle to Gilgal as sacrifices to the Lord your God.”
22 “Tell me,” Samuel said. “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn't want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him. 23 Rebelling against God or disobeying him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice. You refused to do what God told you, so God has decided that you can no longer be king.”
24 “I have sinned,” Saul admitted. “I disobeyed both you and the Lord. I was afraid of the army, and I listened to them instead. 25 Please forgive me and come back with me so I can worship the Lord.”
26 “No!” Samuel replied, “You disobeyed the Lord, and I won't go back with you. Now the Lord has said that you can't be king of Israel any longer.”
27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the edge of Samuel's robe. It tore! 28 Samuel said, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he will give it to someone who is better than you. 29 Besides, the eternal God of Israel isn't a human being. He doesn't tell lies or change his mind.”
30 Saul said, “I did sin, but please honor me in front of the leaders of the army and the people of Israel. Come back with me, so I can worship the Lord your God.”
31 Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the Lord. 32 Then Samuel shouted, “Bring me King Agag of Amalek!”
Agag came in chains, and he was saying to himself, “Surely they won't kill me now.”
33 But Samuel said, “Agag, you have snatched children from their mothers' arms and killed them. Now your mother will be without children.” Then Samuel chopped Agag to pieces at the place of worship in Gilgal.
34 Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his home in Gibeah. 35 Even though Samuel felt sad about Saul, Samuel never saw him again.
The Lord Chooses David To Be King
The Lord was sorry he had made Saul the king of Israel.
1 Afterward Samuel said vnto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee King ouer his people, ouer Israel: nowe therefore obey the voyce of the wordes of the Lord. 2 Thus saith the Lord of hostes, I remember what Amalek did to Israel, howe they laide waite for the in ye way, as they came vp from Egypt. 3 Nowe therefore goe, and sinite Amalek, and destroy ye all that perteyneth vnto them, and haue no compassion on them, but slay both man and woman, both infant and suckling, both oxe, and sheepe, both camell, and asse. 4 And Saul assembled ye people, and nombred them in Telaim, two hundreth thousande footemen, and ten thousand men of Iudah. 5 And Saul came to a citie of Amalek, and set watch at the riuer. 6 And Saul said vnto the Kenites, Goe, depart, and get you downe from among the Amalekites, least I destroy you with them: for ye shewed mercie to all the children of Israel, when they came vp from Egypt: and the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 So Saul smote the Amalekites from Hauilah as thou commest to Shur, that is before Egypt, 8 And tooke Agag the King of the Amalekites aliue, and destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the better sheepe, and the oxen, and the fat beasts, and the lambes, and all that was good, and they would not destroy them: but euery thing that was vile and nought worth, that they destroyed. 10 Then came the worde of the Lord vnto Samuel, saying, 11 It repenteth me that I haue made Saul King: for he is turned from me, and hath not performed my commandements. And Samuel was mooued, and cryed vnto the Lord all night. 12 And when Samuel arose early to meete Saul in the morning, one tolde Samuel, saying, Saul is gone to Carmel: and beholde, he hath made him there a place, from whence he returned, and departed, and is gone downe to Gilgal. 13 Then Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said vnto him. Blessed be thou of the Lord, I haue fulfilled the commandement of the Lord. 14 But Samuel saide, What meaneth then the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares, and the lowing of the oxen which I heare? 15 And Saul answered, They haue brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheepe, and of the oxen to sacrifice them vnto the Lord thy God, and the remnant haue we destroyed. 16 Againe Samuel saide to Saul, Let me tell thee what the Lord hath saide to me this night. And he said vnto him, Say on. 17 Then Samuel saide, When thou wast litle in thine owne sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? for the Lord anointed thee King ouer Israel. 18 And the Lord sent thee on a iourney, and saide, Goe, and destroy those sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them, vntill thou destroy them. 19 Nowe wherefore hast thou not obeyed the voyce of the Lord, but hast turned to the pray, and hast done wickedly in the sight of the Lord? 20 And Saul saide vnto Samuel, Yea, I haue obeyed the voyce of the Lord, and haue gone the way which the Lord sent me, and haue brought Agag the King of Amalek, and haue destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people tooke of the spoyle, sheepe, and oxen, and the chiefest of the things which shoulde haue bene destroyed, to offer vnto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. 22 And Samuel saide, Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as when the voyce of the Lord is obeyed? beholde, to obey is better then sacrifice, and to hearken is better then the fatte of rammes. 23 For rebellion is as the sinne of withcraft, and transgression is wickednesse and idolatrie. Because thou hast cast away the worde of the Lord, therefore hee hath cast away thee from being King. 24 Then Saul sayde vnto Samuel, I haue sinned: for I haue transgressed the commandement of the Lord, and thy wordes, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voyce. 25 Nowe therefore I pray thee, take away my sinne, and turne againe with mee, that I may worship the Lord. 26 But Samuel saide vnto Saul, I will not returne with thee: for thou hast cast away the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath cast away thee, that thou shalt not be King ouer Israel. 27 And as Samuel turned himselfe to goe away, he caught the lappe of his coate, and it rent. 28 Then Samuel saide vnto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdome of Israel from thee this day, and hath giuen it to thy neighbour, that is better then thou. 29 For in deede the strength of Israel will not lye nor repent: for hee is not a man that hee should repent. 30 Then he saide, I haue sinned: but honour mee, I pray thee, before the Elders of my people, and before Israel, and turne againe with mee, that I may worship the Lord thy God. 31 So Samuel turned againe, and followed Saul: and Saul worshipped the Lord. 32 Then saide Samuel, Bring yee hither to me Agag ye King of the Amalekites: and Agag came vnto him pleasantly, and Agag saide, Truely the bitternesse of death is passed. 33 And Samuel sayde, As thy sworde hath made women childlesse, so shall thy mother bee childelesse among other women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. 34 So Samuel departed to Ramah, and Saul went vp to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul vntill the day of his death: but Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord repented that hee made Saul King ouer Israel.