And Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. So now, listen to the voice of the words of Yahweh.
This is what Yahweh of Armies says, ‘I will punish what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way, when he came up out of Egypt.
Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have and do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
So Saul summoned the people and counted them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.
And Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley.
And Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them, for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah as far as where you come to Shur, which is next to Egypt.
And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive but he devoted to destruction all the people with the mouth of the sword.
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and the cattle and the fatlings and the lambs and all that was good, and did not devote them to destruction. But all the property that was contemptible and worthless, they devoted that to destruction.
Then the word of Yahweh came to Samuel, saying,
“I regret that I have made Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me and has not fulfilled my words.” Samuel was angry and he cried out to Yahweh all night.
And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, and it was told to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.”
Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “You are blessed by Yahweh. I have fulfilled the word of Yahweh!”
But Samuel said, “Then what is this sound of the sheep in my ears and the sound of the cattle that I hear?”
And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle to sacrifice to Yahweh your God. We have devoted the rest to destruction.”
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Let me tell you what Yahweh said to me last night.” So he said to him, “Speak.”
Then Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own eyes, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh anointed you king over Israel,
and Yahweh sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go and devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’
So why did you not obey the voice of Yahweh, but swooped down upon the spoils, and did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh?”
But Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of Yahweh, and have gone on the mission that Yahweh sent me on and have brought Agag the king of Amalek and have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and cattle, the best of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.”
But Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; to listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as wickedness and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has also rejected you from being king.”
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh and your words because I was afraid of the people and obeyed their voice.
So now, please forgive my sin and return with me so that I can bow down before Yahweh.”
But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of Yahweh, so Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the edge of his cloak, and it tore.
And Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.
Also, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for he is not a human being, who changes his mind.”
Then he said, “I have sinned, yet please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so that I can bow down before Yahweh your God.”
So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul bowed down before Yahweh.
Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites!” Agag came to him confidently. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel slashed Agag to death before Yahweh in Gilgal.
Then Samuel went to Ramah and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.
And Samuel did not go again to see Saul until the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul. And Yahweh regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.