1 Samuel 15

1Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of Yahweh’s words.Cross-references: 1Sam 9:16 · 1Sam 10:1 · 1Sam 12:14 · 1Sam 13:13 · 1Sam 15:16 · 2Sam 23:2 · +2 more

2Yahweh of Armies says, ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way when he came up out of Egypt.Cross-references: Ex 17:8 · Num 24:20 · Deut 25:17 · Jer 31:34 · Hos 7:2 · Amos 8:7

3Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”Cross-references: Gen 3:17 · Ex 20:5 · Lev 27:28 · Num 24:20 · Num 31:17 · Deut 13:15 · +5 more

4Saul summoned the people, and counted them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.Cross-references: Josh 15:24 · 1Sam 11:8 · 1Sam 13:15

5Saul came to the city of Amalek, and set an ambush in the valley.

6Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.Cross-references: Gen 18:25 · Gen 19:12 · Ex 18:9 · Ex 18:19 · Num 10:29 · Num 16:26 · +12 more

7Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is before Egypt.Cross-references: Gen 2:11 · Gen 16:7 · Gen 25:18 · Ex 15:22 · 1Sam 14:48 · 1Sam 27:8 · +2 more

8He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.Cross-references: Num 24:7 · Josh 10:39 · Josh 11:12 · 1Sam 15:3 · 1Sam 27:8 · 1Sam 30:1 · +3 more

9But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, of the cattle, of the fat calves, of the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to utterly destroy them; but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.Cross-references: Josh 7:21 · 1Sam 15:3 · 1Sam 15:15 · 1Sam 15:19 · 2Sam 6:13

10Then Yahweh’s word came to Samuel, saying,

11“It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night.Cross-references: Gen 6:6 · Josh 22:16 · 1Sam 12:23 · 1Sam 13:13 · 1Sam 15:3 · 1Sam 15:9 · +24 more

12Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and Samuel was told, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, turned, passed on, and went down to Gilgal.”Cross-references: Josh 4:8 · Josh 15:55 · 1Sam 7:12 · 1Sam 25:2 · 2Sam 18:18 · 1Ki 18:42

13Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, “You are blessed by Yahweh! I have performed the commandment of Yahweh.”Cross-references: Gen 3:12 · Gen 14:19 · Judg 17:2 · Ruth 3:10 · 1Sam 13:10 · 1Sam 15:9 · +7 more

14Samuel said, “Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?”Cross-references: Ps 36:2 · Ps 50:16 · Jer 2:18 · Jer 2:22 · Jer 2:34 · Mal 3:13 · +3 more

15Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God. We have utterly destroyed the rest.”Cross-references: Gen 3:12 · Ex 32:22 · 1Sam 15:9 · 1Sam 15:21 · Job 31:33 · Prov 28:13 · +2 more

16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stay, and I will tell you what Yahweh said to me last night.” He said to him, “Say on.”Cross-references: 1Sam 9:27 · 1Sam 12:7 · 1Ki 22:16

17Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own sight, weren’t you made the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh anointed you king over Israel;Cross-references: Judg 6:15 · 1Sam 9:21 · 1Sam 10:1 · 1Sam 10:22 · 1Sam 15:1 · Hos 13:1 · +1 more

18and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’Cross-references: Gen 13:13 · Gen 15:16 · Num 16:38 · Job 31:3 · Prov 10:29 · Prov 13:21

19Why then didn’t you obey Yahweh’s voice, but took the plunder, and did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight?”Cross-references: 1Sam 14:32 · 2Chr 33:2 · 2Chr 33:6 · 2Chr 36:12 · Prov 15:27 · Jer 7:11 · +2 more

20Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed Yahweh’s voice, and have gone the way which Yahweh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.Cross-references: 1Sam 15:3 · 1Sam 15:8 · 1Sam 15:13 · Job 33:9 · Job 34:5 · Job 35:2 · +5 more

21But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.”Cross-references: Gen 3:13 · Ex 32:22 · 1Sam 15:15

22Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying Yahweh’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.Cross-references: Ex 19:5 · Ps 40:6 · Ps 50:8 · Ps 51:16 · Prov 21:3 · Eccl 5:1 · +14 more

23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected Yahweh’s word, he has also rejected you from being king.”Cross-references: Gen 31:19 · Gen 31:34 · Ex 22:18 · Lev 20:6 · Lev 20:27 · Num 14:9 · +21 more

24Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.Cross-references: Gen 3:12 · Gen 3:17 · Ex 9:27 · Ex 10:16 · Ex 23:2 · Num 22:34 · +13 more

25Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Yahweh.”Cross-references: Ex 10:17

26Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected Yahweh’s word, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.”Cross-references: Gen 42:38 · Gen 43:11 · 1Sam 2:30 · 1Sam 13:14 · 1Sam 15:23 · 1Sam 15:31 · +5 more

27As Samuel turned around to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore.Cross-references: 1Ki 11:30

28Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.Cross-references: 1Sam 2:7 · 1Sam 13:14 · 1Sam 16:12 · 1Sam 28:17 · 1Ki 11:30 · Jer 27:5 · +5 more

29Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.”Cross-references: Num 14:28 · Num 23:19 · Deut 33:27 · 1Chr 29:11 · Ps 29:11 · Ps 68:35 · +9 more

30Then he said, “I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”Cross-references: Isa 29:13 · Hab 2:4 · Luke 18:9 · John 5:44 · John 12:43 · 2Tim 3:5

31So Samuel went back with Saul; and Saul worshiped Yahweh.

32Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me!” Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”Cross-references: Jer 48:44 · 1Thess 5:3 · Rev 18:7

33Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Yahweh in Gilgal.Cross-references: Gen 9:6 · Ex 17:11 · Num 14:45 · Num 25:7 · Judg 1:7 · 1Ki 18:40 · +6 more

34Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.Cross-references: 1Sam 7:17 · 1Sam 11:4

35Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death, but Samuel mourned for Saul. Yahweh grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.Cross-references: Gen 6:6 · 1Sam 15:11 · 1Sam 16:1 · 1Sam 19:24 · Ps 119:136 · Ps 119:158 · +3 more