1And Samuel said unto Saul, Me did the Lord send to anoint thee as king over his people, over Israel; and now hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.
2Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he lay in wait for him on the way, when he came up from Egypt.
3Now go and smite 'Amalek, and devote all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and lamb, camel and ass.
4And Saul ordered the people to assemble, and he numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand of the men of Judah.
5And Saul came to the city of 'Amalek, and he fought in the valley.
6And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from the midst of the 'Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; whereas ye acted kindly with all the children of Israel, at their coming up out of Egypt. And the Kenites departed from the midst of the 'Amalekites.
7And Saul smote the 'Amalekites from Chavilah until thou comest to Shur, that is before Egypt.
8And he caught Agag the king of the 'Amalekites alive, and all the people he devoted to the edge of the sword.
9But Saul together with the people had pity on Agag, and on the best of the flocks, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the fat lambs, and all that was good, and they would not destroy them; but all the cattle that was of little value and weak, that they destroyed.
10And the word of the Lord came unto Samuel, saying,
11I repent that I have set up Saul as king; for he hath turned back from following me, and my word hath he not performed: and it displeased Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all the night.
12And Samuel rose up early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told to Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set himself up a monument, and then went about, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal.
13And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou unto the Lord, I have performed the word of the Lord.
14And Samuel said, What is then this bleating of the flocks in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
15And Saul said, From the 'Amalekites have they brought them; because the people had pity on the best of the flocks and of the oxen, in order to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest have we destroyed.
16And Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord said to me this night: and he said unto him, Speak.
17And Samuel said, Is it not that, however little thou wast in thy own eyes, thou art the head of the tribes of Israel? and the Lord anointed thee as king over Israel?
18And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and destroy the sinners, the 'Amalekites, and thou shalt fight against them until they be consumed.
19Wherefore then didst thou not hearken unto the voice of the Lord, and didst fly upon the spoil, and didst the evil in the eyes of the Lord?
20And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have fully hearkened unto the voice of the Lord; and I went on the way which the Lord had sent me; and I have brought Agag the king of 'Amalek; and the 'Amalekites have I destroyed.
21And the people took of the spoil, of the flocks and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
22And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as much delight in burnt-offerings and in sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to attend more than the fat of the rams.
23For the sin of witchcraft is rebellion, and idolatry and image-worship, stubbornness; inasmuch as thou hast despised the word of the Lord, he hath also despised thee that thou shalt not be king.
24And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the will of the Lord, and thy words; because I feared the people, and I hearkened to their voice.
25And now, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may prostrate myself to the Lord.
26And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee; for thou didst despise the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath despised thee, that thou shalt not be king over Israel.
27And Samuel turned about to go: and he laid hold on the corner of his mantle, and it was rent.
28And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from off thee this day, and hath given it to thy associate, who is better than thou.
29And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.
30And he said, I have sinned; yet honor me now, I pray thee, in the presence of the elders of my people, and in the presence of Israel, and return with me, that I may prostrate myself unto the Lord thy God.
31So Samuel returned, following Saul; and Saul prostrated himself to the Lord.
32And Samuel said, Bring ye hither unto me Agag the king of the 'Amalekites: and Agag came unto him cheerfully; and Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
33And Samuel said, As thy sword did make women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women; and Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
34Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house at Gib'ah of Saul.
35And Samuel did not see Saul any more until the day of his death; because Samuel mourned for Saul; and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.
