1 Samuel 15:10-23

10Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11“1I regret that I have made Saul king, because 2he has turned back from 3following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was furious and 4cried out to the Lord all night. 12Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was reported to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to 5Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on 6down to 7Gilgal.” 13So Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “8Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” 14But Samuel said, “9What then is this 10bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the 11bellowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for 12the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have completely destroyed.” 16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop, and let me inform you of what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

17So Samuel said, “13Is it not true, 14though you were 15insignificant in your own eyes, that you became the head of the tribes of Israel? For the Lord anointed you as king over Israel. 18And the Lord sent you on a 16mission, and said, ‘17Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are eliminated.’ 19Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? 18Instead, you loudly rushed upon the spoils and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord!”

20Then Saul said to Samuel, “19I did obey the voice of the Lord, for I went on the 20mission on which the Lord sent me; and I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21But 21the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things designated for destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 22Samuel said, “22Does the Lord have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, 23to obey is better than a sacrifice, And to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.23For rebellion is as reprehensible as the sin of 24divination, And insubordination is as reprehensible as 25false religion and idolatry. Since you have rejected the word of the Lord, 26He has also rejected you from being king.”