¶ Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken² thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember³ that which Amalek⁴ did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

Now go⁵ and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy⁶ all that they have, and spare them not; but slay⁷ both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep⁸, camel and ass.

And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim⁹, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait¹¹ in the valley.

And Saul said unto the Kenites¹², Go, depart¹³, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed¹⁴ kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

And Saul smote¹⁵ the Amalekites from Havilah¹⁶ until thou comest to Shur¹⁷, that is over against Egypt.

And he took Agag¹⁸ the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly¹⁹ destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best²⁰ of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings²¹, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

¶ Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

It repenteth me²² that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned²³ back from following me, and hath not performed²⁴ my commandments. And it grieved²⁵ Samuel; and he cried²⁶ unto the LORD all night.

And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel²⁷, and, behold, he set him²⁸ up a place²⁹, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed³⁰ be thou of the LORD: I have performed³¹ the commandment of the LORD.

And Samuel said, What meaneth³² then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for³³ the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to³⁴ sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay³⁵, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

And Samuel said, When thou³⁶ wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD³⁷ anointed thee king over Israel?

And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners³⁸ the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed³⁹.

Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon⁴⁰ the spoil, and didst evil⁴¹ in the sight of the LORD?

¶ And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea,⁴² I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought⁴³ Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

But the people⁴⁴ took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD⁴⁵ as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey⁴⁶ is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

For rebellion⁴⁷ is as the sin of witchcraft⁴⁸, and stubbornness⁴⁹ is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected⁵⁰ the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

¶ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned⁵¹: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared⁵² the people, and obeyed⁵³ their voice.

Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon⁵⁴ my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.

And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not⁵⁵ return with thee: for thou⁵⁶ hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

And Samuel said unto him, The LORD⁵⁷ hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given⁵⁸ it to a neighbour⁵⁹ of thine, that is better than thou.

And also the Strength⁶⁰ of Israel will not lie⁶¹ nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

¶ Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now,⁶² I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship⁶³ the LORD thy God.

So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.

¶ Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said⁶⁴, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

And Samuel said, As thy sword⁶⁵ hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel⁶⁶ hewed⁶⁷ Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah⁶⁸ of Saul.

And Samuel⁶⁹ came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned⁷⁰ for Saul: and the LORD repented⁷¹ that he had made Saul king over Israel.