1 Samuel 15:9-23

9But Saul and the people 1spared 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“2I regret that I have made Saul king, for 3he has turned back from 4following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and 5cried out to the Lord all night. 12Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to 6Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on 7down to 8Gilgal.” 13Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “9Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” 14But Samuel said, “10What then is this 11bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the 12lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for 13the 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, 14though 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 15mission, and said, ‘16Go 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, 17but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”

20Then Saul said to Samuel, “18I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the 19mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21But 20the 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, “21Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, 22to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.23For rebellion is as the sin of 23divination, And insubordination is as 24iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, 25He has also rejected you from being king.”