1 Samuel 15:6-31

6Saul said to 1the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for 2you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7So 3Saul 4defeated the Amalekites, from 5Havilah as you go to 6Shur, which is 7east of Egypt. 8He captured 8Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and 9utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9But Saul and the people 10spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

10Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11“11I regret that I have made Saul king, for 12he has turned back from 13following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and 14cried out to the Lord all night. 12Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to 15Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on 16down to 17Gilgal.” 13Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “18Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” 14But Samuel said, “19What then is this 20bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the 21lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for 22the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

17Samuel said, “Is it not true, 23though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel, 18and the Lord sent you on a 24mission, and said, ‘25Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.’ 19Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, 26but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”

20Then Saul said to Samuel, “27I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the 28mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21But 29the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 22Samuel said, “30Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, 31to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.23For rebellion is as the sin of 32divination, And insubordination is as 33iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, 34He has also rejected you from being king.”

24Then Saul said to Samuel, “35I have sinned; 36I have indeed transgressed the 37command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. 25Now therefore, 38please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” 26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for 39you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27As Samuel turned to go, 40Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28So Samuel said to him, “41The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. 29Also the 4243Glory of Israel 44will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” 30Then he said, “I have sinned; 45but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, 46that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.