15Samuel said to Saul, "GOD sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel. Now, listen again to what GOD says.H8050H559H7586H3068H7971H4886H4428H5971H3478H8085H6963H1697H3068
2This is the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies speaking: "'I'm about to get even with Amalek for ambushing Israel when Israel came up out of Egypt.H559H3068H6635H6485H6002H6213H3478H7760H1870H5927H4714
3Here's what you are to do: Go to war against Amalek. Put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban. And no exceptions! This is to be total destruction—men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys—the works.'"H3212H5221H6002H2763H2550H4191H376H802H5768H3243H7794H7716H1581H2543
4Saul called the army together at Telaim and prepared them to go to war—two hundred companies of infantry from Israel and another ten companies from Judah.H7586H8085H5971H8085H6485H2923H3967H505H7273H6235H505H376H3063
5Saul marched to Amalek City and hid in the canyon.H7586H935H5892H6002H7378H693H5158
6Then Saul got word to the Kenites: "Get out of here while you can. Evacuate the city right now or you'll get lumped in with the Amalekites. I'm warning you because you showed real kindness to the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." And they did. The Kenites evacuated the place.H7586H559H7017H3212H5493H3381H8432H6002H622H6213H2617H1121H3478H5927H4714H7017H5493H8432H6003
7Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border.H7586H5221H6002H2341H935H7793H6440H4714
8He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban.H8610H90H4428H6002H2416H2763H5971H6310H2719
9Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban.H7586H5971H2550H90H4315H6629H1241H4932H3733H2896H14H2763H4399H5240H4549H2763
10Then GOD spoke to Samuel:H1697H3068H8050H559
11"I'm sorry I ever made Saul king. He's turned his back on me. He refuses to do what I tell him." Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night.H5162H4427H7586H4428H7725H310H6965H1697H2734H8050H2199H3068H3915
12He got up early in the morning to confront Saul but was told, "Saul's gone. He went to Carmel to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and then was headed for Gilgal." By the time Samuel caught up with him, Saul had just finished an act of worship, having used Amalekite plunder for the burnt offerings sacrificed to GOD.H8050H7925H7125H7586H1242H5046H8050H559H7586H935H3760H5324H3027H5437H5674H3381H1537
13As Samuel came close, Saul called out, "GOD's blessings on you! I accomplished GOD's plan to the letter!"H8050H935H7586H7586H559H1288H3068H6965H1697H3068
14Samuel said, "So what's this I'm hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?"H8050H559H6963H6629H241H6963H1241H8085
15"Only some Amalekite loot," said Saul. "The soldiers saved back a few of the choice cattle and sheep to offer up in sacrifice to GOD. But everything else we destroyed under the holy ban."H7586H559H935H6003H5971H2550H4315H6629H1241H2076H3068H430H3498H2763
16"Enough!" interrupted Samuel. "Let me tell you what GOD told me last night." Saul said, "Go ahead. Tell me."H8050H559H7586H7503H5046H3068H1696H3915H559H1696
17And Samuel told him. "When you started out in this, you were nothing—and you knew it. Then GOD put you at the head of Israel—made you king over Israel.H8050H559H6996H5869H7218H7626H3478H3068H4886H4428H3478
18Then GOD sent you off to do a job for him, ordering you, 'Go and put those sinners, the Amalekites, under a holy ban. Go to war against them until you have totally wiped them out.'H3068H7971H1870H559H3212H2763H2400H6002H3898H3615
19So why did you not obey GOD? Why did you grab all this loot? Why, with GOD's eyes on you all the time, did you brazenly carry out this evil?"H8085H6963H3068H5860H7998H6213H7451H5869H3068
20Saul defended himself. "What are you talking about? I did obey GOD. I did the job GOD set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban.H7586H559H8050H8085H6963H3068H3212H1870H3068H7971H935H90H4428H6002H2763H6002
21So the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to GOD at Gilgal—what's wrong with that?"H5971H3947H7998H6629H1241H7225H2764H2076H3068H430H1537
22Then Samuel said, Do you think all GOD wants are sacrifices— empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production.H8050H559H3068H2656H5930H2077H8085H6963H3068H8085H2896H2077H7181H2459H352
23Not doing what GOD tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around GOD is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to GOD's command, he says No to your kingship.H4805H2403H7081H6484H205H8655H3988H1697H3068H3988H4428
24Saul gave in and confessed, "I've sinned. I've trampled roughshod over GOD's Word and your instructions. I cared more about pleasing the people. I let them tell me what to do.H7586H559H8050H2398H5674H6310H3068H1697H3372H5971H8085H6963
25Oh, absolve me of my sin! Take my hand and lead me to the altar so I can worship GOD!"H5375H2403H7725H7812H3068
26But Samuel refused: "No, I can't come alongside you in this. You rejected GOD's command. Now GOD has rejected you as king over Israel."H8050H559H7586H7725H3988H1697H3068H3068H3988H4428H3478
27As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed at his priestly robe and a piece tore off.H8050H5437H3212H2388H3671H4598H7167
28Samuel said, "GOD has just now torn the kingdom from you, and handed it over to your neighbor, a better man than you are.H8050H559H3068H7167H4468H3478H3117H5414H7453H2896
29Israel's God-of-Glory doesn't deceive and he doesn't dither. He says what he means and means what he says."H5331H3478H8266H5162H120H5162
30Saul tried again, "I have sinned. But don't abandon me! Support me with your presence before the leaders and the people. Come alongside me as I go back to worship GOD."H559H2398H3513H2205H5971H3478H7725H7812H3068H430 ![Info Language Arrow](https://ptents.azureedge.net/images/othericons/redarrow.png)
31Samuel did. He went back with him. And Saul went to his knees before GOD and worshiped.H8050H7725H310H7586H7586H7812H3068
32Then Samuel said, "Present King Agag of Amalek to me." Agag came, dragging his feet, muttering that he'd be better off dead.H559H8050H5066H90H4428H6002H90H3212H4574H90H559H403H4751H4194H5493
33Samuel said, "Just as your sword made many a woman childless, so your mother will be childless among those women!" And Samuel cut Agag down in the presence of GOD right there in Gilgal.H8050H559H2719H802H7921H517H7921H802H8050H8158H90H8158H6440H3068H1537 ![](https://ptents.azureedge.net/images/bible/clear.png)
New Testament
34Samuel left immediately for Ramah and Saul went home to Gibeah.H8050H3212H7414H7586H5927H1004H1390H7586
35Samuel never laid eyes on Saul again in this life, although he grieved long and deeply over him. But GOD was sorry he had ever made Saul king in the first place.H8050H3254H7200H7586H3117H4194H3588H8050H56H7586H3068H5162H7586H4427H3478
The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. More details.
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Old Testament
- 1. Genesis (50)
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- 19. Psalms (150)
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- 23. Isaiah (66)
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- 24. Jeremiah (52)
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- 26. Ezekiel (48)
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- 31. Obadiah (1)
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New Testament
- 57. Philemon (1)
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- 63. 2 John (1)
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- 64. 3 John (1)
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- 65. Jude (1)
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