1 Samuel 15

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 And Samuel said to Saul: “The Lord sent me, so that I would anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the voice 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 says the Lord of hosts: I have taken account of all that Amalek has done to Israel, how he stood against him in the way, when he ascended 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 therefore, go and strike Amalek, and demolish all that is his. You shall not spare him, and you shall not covet anything out of the things that are his. Instead, kill from man even to woman, and little ones as well as infants, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
4 Saul summoned the people and reviewed them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers (andten thousand men of Judah).	4 And so, Saul instructed the people, and he numbered them like lambs: two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 Saul advanced on the town of Amalek and lay in ambush in the river bed.	5 And when Saul had arrived as far as the city of Amalek, he placed ambushes at the torrent.
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 to the Kenite: “Go away, withdraw, and descend from Amalek. Otherwise, I will include you with him. For you showed mercy to all the sons of Israel, when they ascended from Egypt.” And so the Kenite withdrew from the midst of Amalek.
7 Saul then crushed the Amalekites, beginning at Havilah in the direction of Shur, which is to the east ofEgypt.	7 And Saul struck down Amalek, from Havilah even until you arrive at Shur, which is opposite the region of 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 apprehended Agag, the king of Amalek, alive. But all the common people he put to death 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 And Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the flocks of sheep, and of the herds, and the garments, and the rams, and all that was beautiful, and they were not willing to destroy them. Yet truly, whatever was vile or worthless, these they demolished.
10 The word of Yahweh came to Samuel,	10 Then the word of the Lord came to 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 displeases me that I have appointed Saul as king. For he has forsaken me, and he has not fulfilled the work of my words.” And Samuel was greatly saddened, and he cried out to the Lord, all night long
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 had risen while it was still dark, so that he might go to Saul in the morning, it was reported to Samuel that Saul had arrived at Carmel, and that he had erected for himself a triumphant arch. And, while returning, he had continued on and descended to Gilgal. Therefore, Samuel went to Saul. And Saul was offering a holocaust to the Lord, from the best of the spoils, which he had brought from Amalek.
13 When Samuel reached Saul, Saul said, 'May you be blessed by Yahweh! I have carried outYahweh's orders.'	13 And when Samuel had gone to Saul, Saul said to him: “You are the blessed of the Lord. I have fulfilled the word 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, “Then what is this voice of the flocks, which resounds in my ears, and of the herds, which I am hearing?”
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 these from Amalek. For the people spared the best of the sheep and of the herds, so that they might be immolated to the Lord your God. Yet truly, the remainder we have slain.”
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 to Saul, “Permit me, and I will reveal to you what the Lord has said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
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: “Was it not when you were little in your own eyes that you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you as 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 you on the way, and he said: ‘Go and put to death the sinners of Amalek. And you shall fight against them, even unto utter annihilation.’
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 Why then, did you not listen to the voice of the Lord? Instead, you turned to the spoils, and you did evil in the eyes 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 to Samuel: “On the contrary, I did listen to the voice of the Lord, and I walked in the way along which the Lord sent me, and I led back Agag, the king of Amalek, and I put to death Amalek.
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 some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, as the first-fruits of those things that were slain, to immolate to the Lord their God at 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: “Does the Lord want holocausts and victims, and not instead that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifice. And to heed is greater than to offer 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 Therefore, it is like the sin of paganism to rebel. And it is like the crime of idolatry to refuse to obey. For this reason, therefore, because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord has also rejected you 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 to Samuel: “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the word of the Lord, and your words, by fearing the people and obeying their voice.
25 Now, please forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I can worship Yahweh.'	25 But now, I beg you, to bear my sin, and to return with me, so that I may adore 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 to Saul: “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you 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 Samuel turned away, so that he might depart. But Saul took hold of the edge of his cloak, and it tore.
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 to him: “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you this day. And he has delivered it to your neighbor, who is better than you are.
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 Moreover, the One who triumphs within Israel will not spare, and he will not be moved to repentance. 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. But now, honor me before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, so that I may adore the Lord your God.”
31 Samuel fol owed Saul back and Saul worshipped Yahweh.	31 Therefore, Samuel turned again after Saul. And Saul adored the Lord.
32 Samuel then said, 'Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites!' Agag came towards him unsteadilysaying, 'Truly death is bitter!'	32 And Samuel said, “Bring near to me Agag, the king of Amalek.” And Agag, very fat and trembling, was presented to him. And Agag said, “Does bitter death separate in this manner?”
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, “Just as your sword caused women to be without their children, so will your mother be without her children among women.” And Samuel cut him into pieces, before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Samuel left for Ramah, and Saul went up home to Gibeah of Saul.	34 Then Samuel went away to Ramah. But Saul ascended to his house at Gibeah.
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 did not see Saul any more, until the day of his death. Yet truly, Samuel mourned for Saul, because the Lord regretted that he had appointed him as king over Israel.