1 Samuel 15

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Samuel said to Saul, 'I am the man whom Yahweh sent to anoint you as king of his people Israel, sonow listen to the words of Yahweh.	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 This is what Yahweh Sabaoth says, "I intend to punish what Amalek did to Israel -- laying a trap forhim on the way as he was coming up from Egypt.	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 crush Amalek; put him under the curse of destruction with al that he possesses. Do notspare him, but kil man and woman, babe and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey." '	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 Saul summoned the people and reviewed them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers (andten thousand men of Judah).	4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 Saul advanced on the town of Amalek and lay in ambush in the river bed.	5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
6 Saul said to the Kenites, 'Go away, leave your homes among the Amalekites, in case I destroy youwith them -- you acted with faithful love towards al the Israelites when they were coming up from Egypt.' So theKenites moved away from the Amalekites.	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 Saul then crushed the Amalekites, beginning at Havilah in the direction of Shur, which is to the east ofEgypt.	7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive and, executing the curse of destruction, put al the people tothe sword.	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 army spared Agag with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fatlings and lambs andal that was good. They did not want to consign these to the curse of destruction; they consigned only what waspoor and worthless.	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 The word of Yahweh came to Samuel,	10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
11 'I regret having made Saul king, since he has broken his allegiance to me and not carried out myorders.' Samuel was appal ed and cried to Yahweh al night long.	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 In the morning, Samuel set off to find Saul. Samuel was told, 'Saul has been to Carmel, to raisehimself a monument there, but now has turned about, moved on and gone down to Gilgal.'	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 When Samuel reached Saul, Saul said, 'May you be blessed by Yahweh! I have carried outYahweh's orders.'	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 Samuel replied, 'Then what is this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of cattle that I hear?'	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 Saul said, 'They have been brought from Amalek, the people having spared the best of the sheepand cattle to sacrifice them to Yahweh, your God; the rest we have consigned to the curse of destruction.'	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 Samuel then said to Saul, 'Stop! Let me tel you what Yahweh said to me last night.' He said, 'Go on.'	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 Samuel said, 'Smal as you may be in your own eyes, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel?Yahweh has anointed you as king of Israel.	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 When Yahweh sent you on a mission he said to you, "Go and put those sinners, the Amalekites,under the curse of destruction and make war on them until they are exterminated."	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 Why then did you not obey Yahweh's voice? Why did you fal on the booty and do what is wrong inYahweh's eyes?'	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 Saul replied to Samuel, 'But I did obey Yahweh's voice. I went on the mission which Yahweh gaveme; I brought back Agag king of the Amalekites; I put Amalek under the curse of destruction;	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 and from the booty the people have taken the best sheep and cattle of what was under the curse ofdestruction only to sacrifice them to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.'	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 To which, Samuel said: Is Yahweh pleased by burnt offerings and sacrifices or by obedience toYahweh's voice? Truly, obedience is better than sacrifice, submissiveness than the fat of rams.	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 Rebellion is a sin of sorcery, presumption a crime of idolatry! 'Since you have rejected Yahweh'sword, he has rejected you as king.'	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 Saul then said to Samuel, 'I have sinned, having broken Yahweh's order and your instructionsbecause I was afraid of the people and yielded to their demands.	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, please forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I can worship Yahweh.'	25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.
26 Samuel said to Saul, 'I wil not come back with you, since you have rejected Yahweh's word andYahweh has rejected you as king of Israel.'	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 As Samuel turned away to leave, Saul caught at the hem of his cloak and it tore,	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 to him, 'Today Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you and given it to aneighbour of yours who is better than you.'	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 (The Glory of Israel, however, does not lie or go back on his word, not being human and liable to goback on his word.)	29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
30 'I have sinned,' Saul said, 'but please stil show me respect in front of my people's elders and in frontof Israel, and come back with me, so that I can worship Yahweh your God.'	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 Samuel fol owed Saul back and Saul worshipped Yahweh.	31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.
32 Samuel then said, 'Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites!' Agag came towards him unsteadilysaying, 'Truly death is bitter!'	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 Samuel said: As your sword has left women childless, so wil your mother be left childless amongwomen! Samuel then butchered Agag before Yahweh at Gilgal.	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 Samuel left for Ramah, and Saul went up home to Gibeah of Saul.	34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
35 Samuel did not see Saul again til his dying day. Samuel indeed mourned over Saul, but Yahwehregretted having made Saul king of Israel.	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.