1 Samuel 15 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Saul’s Disobedience

Then Samuel^H8050 said^H559 to Saul^H7586, “Yahweh^H3068 sent^H7971 me to anoint^H4886 you as king^H4428 over^H5921 His people^H5971, over^H5921 Israel^H3478; so now^H6258, [fn]obey^H8085 the voice^H6963 of the words^H1697 of Yahweh^H3068.

1Sa 15:2

1Sa 15:2“Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘I will [fn]punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt.

1Sa 15:3

1Sa 15:3‘Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

1Sa 15:4

Then Saul^H7586 summoned^H8085 the people^H5971 and [fn]numbered^H6485 them in Telaim^H2923, 200,000^H3967^H505 foot^H7273 soldiers^H7273 and 10,000^H6235^H505 men^H376 of Judah^H3063.

1Sa 15:5

1Sa 15:5And Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley.

1Sa 15:6

1Sa 15:6And Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; you showed lovingkindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

1Sa 15:7

1Sa 15:7So Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is [fn]east of Egypt.

1Sa 15:8

1Sa 15:8And he seized Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword.

1Sa 15:9

1Sa 15:9But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and they were not willing to devote them to destruction; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

Yahweh Regrets He Made Saul King

1Sa 15:10

Then the word^H1697 of Yahweh^H3068 came^H1961 to Samuel^H8050, saying^H559,

1Sa 15:11

1Sa 15:11“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from [fn]following Me and has not established My words.” And Samuel became angry and cried out to Yahweh all night.

1Sa 15:12

1Sa 15:12Then Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on [fn]down to Gilgal.”

1Sa 15:13

1Sa 15:13And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of Yahweh! I have established the word of Yahweh.”

1Sa 15:14

1Sa 15:14But Samuel said, “What then is this sound of the sheep in my ears and the sound of the oxen which I am hearing?”

1Sa 15:15

1Sa 15:15And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God; but the rest we have devoted to destruction.”

1Sa 15:16

1Sa 15:16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and let me tell you what Yahweh spoke to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

1Sa 15:17

And Samuel^H8050 said^H559, “Is it not true, though^H518 you were little^H6996 in your own eyes^H5869, you were made the head^H7218 of the tribes^H7626 of Israel^H3478? And Yahweh^H3068 anointed^H4886 you king^H4428 over^H5921 Israel^H3478,

1Sa 15:18

1Sa 15:18and Yahweh sent you on a [fn]mission and said, ‘Go and devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’

1Sa 15:19

1Sa 15:19“Why then did you not [fn]obey the voice of Yahweh, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh?”

1Sa 15:20

Then Saul^H7586 said^H559 to Samuel^H8050, “I did [fn]obey^H8085 the voice^H6963 of Yahweh^H3068 and went^H1980 on the way^H1870 on which^H834 Yahweh^H3068 sent^H7971 me and have brought^H935 back Agag^H90 the king^H4428 of Amalek^H6002 and have devoted^H2763 the Amalekites^H6002 to destruction^H2763.

1Sa 15:21

1Sa 15:21“But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal.”

1Sa 15:22

1Sa 15:22And Samuel said,

“Has Yahweh^H3068 as much delight^H2656 in burnt^H5930 offerings^H5930 and sacrifices^H2077

As in obeying^H8085 the voice^H6963 of Yahweh^H3068?

Behold^H2009, to obey^H8085 is better^H2896 than^H4480 sacrifice^H2077,

And to heed^H7181 than^H4480 the fat^H2459 of rams^H352.

1Sa 15:23

“For rebellion^H4805 is as the sin^H2403 of divination^H7081,

And insubordination^H6484 is as wickedness^H205 and idolatry^H8655.

Because^H3282 you have rejected^H3988 the word^H1697 of Yahweh^H3068,

He has also rejected^H3988 you from being king^H4428.”

1Sa 15:24

Then Saul^H7586 said^H559 to Samuel^H8050, “I have sinned^H2398; I have indeed^H3588 trespassed^H5674 against the [fn]command^H6310 of Yahweh^H3068 and your words^H1697 because^H3588 I feared^H3372 the people^H5971 and obeyed^H8085 their voice^H6963.

1Sa 15:25

1Sa 15:25“So now, please forgive my sin and return with me, that I may worship Yahweh.”

1Sa 15:26

1Sa 15:26But 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.”

1Sa 15:27

1Sa 15:27Then Samuel turned to go, but Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.

1Sa 15:28

1Sa 15:28So Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.

1Sa 15:29

1Sa 15:29“Also the Eternal One of Israel will not lie or have regret; for He is not a man that He should have regret.”

1Sa 15:30

1Sa 15:30Then he said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”

1Sa 15:31

1Sa 15:31So Samuel returned, following after Saul, and Saul worshiped Yahweh.

1Sa 15:32

Then Samuel^H8050 said^H559, “Bring^H5066 Agag^H90 near^H5066 to me, the king^H4428 of the Amalekites^H6002.” And Agag^H90 came^H1980 to him [fn]in chains^H4575. And Agag^H90 said^H559, “Surely^H403 the bitterness^H4751 of death^H4194 has departed^H5493.”

1Sa 15:33

1Sa 15:33But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before Yahweh at Gilgal.

1Sa 15:34

Then Samuel^H8050 went^H1980 to Ramah^H7414, but Saul^H7586 went^H5927 up^H5927 to his house^H1004 at Gibeah^H1390 of Saul^H7586.

1Sa 15:35

1Sa 15:35So Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel grieved over Saul. And Yahweh regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.