1
And Shemu’el said to Shaul, “Yahuah sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Yisra’el. And now, listen to the voice of the words of Yahuah.
2
Thus says Yahuah of Hosts: ‘I have appointed against Amaleq what he did to Yisra’el, how he set himself against him in the way when he came up from Mitzrayim.
3
And now go and strike Amaleq, and devote to destruction all that belongs to him. Do not spare him, but put to death from ish to ishah, from infant to nursing child, from ox to sheep, from camel to donkey.’”
4
And Shaul called the people together and counted them at Telaim: two hundred thousand ish on foot, and ten thousand ish of Yehudah.
5
And Shaul came to the city of Amaleq and lay in wait in the wadi.
6
And Shaul said to the Qeini, “Go, turn aside, go down from the midst of the Amaleqi, lest I gather you with him. For you dealt in covenant-faithfulness with all the sons of Yisra’el when they came up from Mitzrayim.” And the Qeini turned aside from the midst of Amaleq.
7
And Shaul struck Amaleq from Chavilah as far as your coming to Shur, which is before Mitzrayim.
8
And he seized Agag king of Amaleq alive, and all the people he devoted to destruction with the mouth of the sword.
9
But Shaul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the second-born, and of the lambs, and all that was good, and they were not willing to devote them to destruction. But every thing despised and worthless, that they devoted to destruction.
10
And the word of Yahuah came to Shemu’el, saying,
11
“I regret that I made Shaul king, for he has turned back from following Me, and My words he has not established.” And it burned in Shemu’el, and he cried out to Yahuah all the night.
12
And Shemu’el rose early to meet Shaul in the morning. And it was declared to Shemu’el, saying, “Shaul came to Karmel, and see, he set up for himself a monument. And he turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.”
13
And Shemu’el came to Shaul, and Shaul said to him, “Blessed are you of Yahuah. I have established the word of Yahuah.”
14
And Shemu’el said, “And what then is this voice of the sheep in my ears, and the voice of the oxen that I hear?”
15
And Shaul said, “From the Amaleqi they brought them, because the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice to Yahuah your Elohim. And the rest we devoted to destruction.”
16
And Shemu’el said to Shaul, “Stop, and I will declare to you what Yahuah spoke to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
17
And Shemu’el said, “Though you were small in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Yisra’el? And Yahuah anointed you king over Yisra’el.
18
And Yahuah sent you on the way and said, ‘Go and devote to destruction the sinners, Amaleq, and fight against them until they are consumed.’
19
And why did you not listen to the voice of Yahuah, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the eyes of Yahuah?”
20
And Shaul said to Shemu’el, “I did listen to the voice of Yahuah, and I went on the way that Yahuah sent me, and I brought Agag king of Amaleq, and Amaleq I devoted to destruction.
21
But the people took from the spoil sheep and oxen, the first of what was devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahuah your Elohim in Gilgal.”
22
And Shemu’el said: “Does Yahuah delight in ascending offerings and sacrifices as in listening to the voice of Yahuah? See, to listen is better than sacrifice, to give ear than the fat of rams.
23
For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness as crookedness and terafim. Because you have rejected the word of Yahuah, He has rejected you from being king.”
24
And Shaul said to Shemu’el, “I have sinned, for I transgressed the mouth of Yahuah and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.
25
And now, please bear my sin and return with me, and I will bow myself to Yahuah.”
26
And Shemu’el said to Shaul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of Yahuah, and Yahuah has rejected you from being king over Yisra’el.”
27
And Shemu’el turned to go, and Shaul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore.
28
And Shemu’el said to him, “Yahuah has torn the kingdom of Yisra’el from upon you this day and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.
29
And also the Enduring One of Yisra’el does not lie and does not regret, for He is not Adam that He should regret.”
30
And he said, “I have sinned. Now please honor me before the elders of my people and before Yisra’el, and return with me, and I will bow myself to Yahuah your Elohim.”
31
And Shemu’el returned after Shaul, and Shaul bowed himself to Yahuah.
32
And Shemu’el said, “Bring near to me Agag king of Amaleq.” And Agag went to him delicately. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death has turned aside.”
33
And Shemu’el said: “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Shemu’el cut Agag to pieces before Yahuah in Gilgal.
34
And Shemu’el went to HaRamah, and Shaul went up to his house at Giv’at-Shaul.
35
And Shemu’el did not continue to see Shaul until the day of his death, but Shemu’el mourned for Shaul. And Yahuah regretted that He had made Shaul king over Yisra’el.