1 Samuel 15:14-35

New Catholic Bible

¹⁴ Samuel responded, “Then what is the bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” ¹⁵ Saul answered, “They have brought them from the Amalekites. The people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord, your God. We have totally destroyed the rest of it.” ¹⁶ Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me tonight.” He said, “Keep speaking.” ¹⁷ Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own opinion, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? Has the Lord not anointed you as king over Israel? ¹⁸ The Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites. Fight against them until they are wiped out.’ ¹⁹ Why did you not heed the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil, doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”

²⁰ Saul answered Samuel, “But I did hearken to the voice of the Lord. I went on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have wiped out Agag, the king of Amalek, and the Amalekites. ²¹ The people took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the dedicated things, to sacrifice them to the Lord, your God, in Gilgal.”

^22 [a]But Samuel replied, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in heeding the voice of the Lord? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, being attentive is better than the fat of rams. ²³ Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

²⁴ Saul Asks for Pardon. Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned against the command of the Lord and against your instruction because I was afraid of the people and I listened to their complaints. ²⁵ Now, I beg you, forgive my sin and return with me, so that I can worship the Lord.” ²⁶ But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you because you have rejected the word of the Lord. The Lord has rejected you as king over Israel.”

²⁷ As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed on to the hem of his garment and tore it. ²⁸ Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn away the kingdom of Israel from you today. He has given it to one of your neighbors, someone who is better than you. ²⁹ He who is the strength of Israel does not lie nor does he repent, for he is not a man that he should change his mind.”

³⁰ He said, “I have sinned. Please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so that I might worship the Lord, your God.” ³¹ Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

³² Agag’s Death. Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” Agag came before him cheerfully, for Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” ³³ Then Samuel said, “As your sword made women childless, so among women your mother will be childless.” Samuel then hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord.

³⁴ After this Samuel traveled to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ Samuel did not go back to visit Saul again until the day of his death, though Samuel mourned for Saul. The Lord regretted that he had appointed Saul as king over Israel.