1 Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people Israel. Now, listen to the words of the LORD.

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

2 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'I will punish Amalek for what they did to Israel, how they ambushed them on their way up from Egypt.'

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

3 Now go and attack Amalek. Devote to destruction everything they have. Do not spare them; kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.'

Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

4 Saul summoned the people and mustered them at Telaim—200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.

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

5 Saul advanced to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the valley.

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

6 Saul said to the Kenites, 'Go, depart, leave the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you along with them. For you showed kindness to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.' So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

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

7 Then Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.

And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

8 He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive, but he utterly destroyed all the people with the sword.

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

9 Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, cattle, fatlings, and lambs, and all that was good. They refused to utterly destroy them, but everything despised and worthless, they completely destroyed.

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, 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.

10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying:

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

11 I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my commands. This grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.

It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

12 Early in the morning, Samuel got up to meet Saul, but he was told, 'Saul went to Carmel and has set up a monument in his own honor. Then he turned and went down to Gilgal.'

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

13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, 'Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the LORD's instruction.'

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

14 But Samuel said, 'What is this sound of sheep and cattle that I hear?'

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

15 Saul answered, 'They brought them from the Amalekites; the people spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we have utterly destroyed.'

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

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, 'Stop! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.' Saul replied, 'Speak.'

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

17 Samuel said, 'Although you were small in your own eyes, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel.'

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

18 And the LORD sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinful Amalekites; wage war against them until you completely wipe them out.'

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

19 Why then did you not obey the LORD? Why did you rush for the spoil and do what is evil in the eyes of the LORD?

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

20 But Saul said to Samuel, 'I did obey the LORD. I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I brought back Agag, the king of Amalek, and I utterly destroyed the Amalekites.'

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

21 But the people took sheep and cattle from the plunder—the best of what was devoted to destruction—to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.

But the people 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.

22 Then Samuel said, 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.'

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

23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, 'I have sinned. I disregarded the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.'

And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

25 Now, please forgive my sin and return with me so that I may worship the LORD.

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

26 But Samuel replied to Saul, 'I will not go back with you, because you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.'

And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore.

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

28 And Samuel said to him, 'The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors, someone better than you.'

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

29 Moreover, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.

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

30 Saul replied, 'I have sinned, but please honor me now in front of the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so that I may worship the LORD your God.'

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

31 So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

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

32 Then Samuel said, 'Bring Agag, king of Amalek, to me.' Agag came to him cheerfully, thinking, 'Surely the bitterness of death is past.'

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

33 Samuel said, 'As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.' Then Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

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

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

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

35 Samuel never saw Saul again until the day of his death. Nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

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