| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD. | 1Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. |
| 2This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they ambushed them on their way up from Egypt. | 2This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. |
| 3Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ” | 3Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'" |
| 4So Saul summoned the troops and numbered them at Telaim—200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. | 4So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim--two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah. |
| 5Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. | 5Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. |
| 6And he warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt, go on and get away from the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites. | 6Then he said to the Kenites, "Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites. |
| 7Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt. | 7Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. |
| 8He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword. | 8He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. |
| 9Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to destroy them, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless. | 9But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs--everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. |
| 10Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, | 10Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: |
| 11“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night. | 11"I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all that night. |
| 12Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.” | 12Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal." |
| 13When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.” | 13When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD's instructions." |
| 14But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?” | 14But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?" |
| 15Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we devoted to destruction.” | 15Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest." |
| 16“Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. | 16"Enough!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied. |
| 17And Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, have you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel | 17Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. |
| 18and sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and devote to destruction the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have wiped them out.’ | 18And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.' |
| 19So why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you rush upon the plunder and do evil in the sight of the LORD?” | 19Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?" |
| 20“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction. | 20"But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. |
| 21The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” | 21The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal." |
| 22But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. | 22But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. |
| 23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.” | 23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." |
| 24Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. | 24Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. |
| 25Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.” | 25Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD." |
| 26“I will not return with you,” Samuel replied. “For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and He has rejected you as king over Israel.” | 26But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!" |
| 27As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. | 27As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. |
| 28So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. | 28Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors--to one better than you. |
| 29Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.” | 29He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind." |
| 30“I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.” | 30Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God." |
| 31So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD. | 31So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD. |
| 32Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him cheerfully, for he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” | 32Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites." Agag came to him in chains. And he thought, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." |
| 33But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal. | 33But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women." And Samuel put Agag to death before the LORD at Gilgal. |
| 34Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. | 34Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. |
| 35And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel. | 35Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. |
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