1Samuel 15 - Prayer Tents



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1Samuel 15
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Saul Defeats the Amalekites

15One day Samuel said to Saul, "It was the LORD who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the LORD!H8050H559H7586H3068H7971H4886H4428H5971H3478H8085H6963H1697H3068 2This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt.H559H3068H6635H6485H6002H6213H3478H7760H1870H5927H4714 3Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys."H3212H5221H6002H2763H2550H4191H376H802H5768H3243H7794H7716H1581H2543 4So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah.H7586H8085H5971H8085H6485H2923H3967H505H7273H6235H505H376H3063 5Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley.H7586H935H5892H6002H7378H693H5158 6Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: "Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites packed up and left.H7586H559H7017H3212H5493H3381H8432H6002H622H6213H2617H1121H3478H5927H4714H7017H5493H8432H6003 7Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt.H7586H5221H6002H2341H935H7793H6440H4714 8He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else.H8610H90H4428H6002H2416H2763H5971H6310H2719 9Saul and his men spared Agag's life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.H7586H5971H2550H90H4315H6629H1241H4932H3733H2896H14H2763H4399H5240H4549H2763

The Lord Rejects Saul

10Then the LORD said to Samuel,H1697H3068H8050H559 11"I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command." Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the LORD all night.H5162H4427H7586H4428H7725H310H6965H1697H2734H8050H2199H3068H3915 12Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, "Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal."H8050H7925H7125H7586H1242H5046H8050H559H7586H935H3760H5324H3027H5437H5674H3381H1537 13When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. "May the LORD bless you," he said. "I have carried out the LORD's command!"H8050H935H7586H7586H559H1288H3068H6965H1697H3068 14"Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?" Samuel demanded.H8050H559H6963H6629H241H6963H1241H8085 15"It's true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle," Saul admitted. "But they are going to sacrifice them to the LORD your God. We have destroyed everything else."H7586H559H935H6003H5971H2550H4315H6629H1241H2076H3068H430H3498H2763 16Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! Listen to what the LORD told me last night!" "What did he tell you?" Saul asked.H8050H559H7586H7503H5046H3068H1696H3915H559H1696 17And Samuel told him, "Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD has anointed you king of Israel.H8050H559H6996H5869H7218H7626H3478H3068H4886H4428H3478 18And the LORD sent you on a mission and told you, 'Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.'H3068H7971H1870H559H3212H2763H2400H6002H3898H3615 19Why haven't you obeyed the LORD? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the LORD's sight?"H8085H6963H3068H5860H7998H6213H7451H5869H3068 20"But I did obey the LORD," Saul insisted. "I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else.H7586H559H8050H8085H6963H3068H3212H1870H3068H7971H935H90H4428H6002H2763H6002 21Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."H5971H3947H7998H6629H1241H7225H2764H2076H3068H430H1537 22But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.H8050H559H3068H2656H5930H2077H8085H6963H3068H8085H2896H2077H7181H2459H352 23Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."H4805H2403H7081H6484H205H8655H3988H1697H3068H3988H4428

Saul Pleads for Forgiveness

24Then Saul admitted to Samuel, "Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the LORD's command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.H7586H559H8050H2398H5674H6310H3068H1697H3372H5971H8085H6963 25But now, please forgive my sin and come back with me so that I may worship the LORD."H5375H2403H7725H7812H3068 26But Samuel replied, "I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the LORD's command, he has rejected you as king of Israel."H8050H559H7586H7725H3988H1697H3068H3068H3988H4428H3478 27As Samuel turned to go, Saul tried to hold him back and tore the hem of his robe.H8050H5437H3212H2388H3671H4598H7167 28And Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you.H8050H559H3068H7167H4468H3478H3117H5414H7453H2896 29And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!"H5331H3478H8266H5162H120H5162 30Then Saul pleaded again, "I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the LORD your God."H559H2398H3513H2205H5971H3478H7725H7812H3068H430 31So Samuel finally agreed and went back with him, and Saul worshiped the LORD.H8050H7725H310H7586H7586H7812H3068

Samuel Executes King Agag

32Then Samuel said, "Bring King Agag to me." Agag arrived full of hope, for he thought, "Surely the worst is over, and I have been spared!"H559H8050H5066H90H4428H6002H90H3212H4574H90H559H403H4751H4194H5493 33But Samuel said, "As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless." And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.H8050H559H2719H802H7921H517H7921H802H8050H8158H90H8158H6440H3068H1537 34Then Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his house at Gibeah of Saul.H8050H3212H7414H7586H5927H1004H1390H7586 35Samuel never went to meet with Saul again, but he mourned constantly for him. And the LORD was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel.H8050H3254H7200H7586H3117H4194H3588H8050H56H7586H3068H5162H7586H4427H3478


New Living Translation (NLT). Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. More details.
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