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†
9
There was a man of Benjamin
whose name was Kish,
The son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah,
A Benjaminite,
a man of wealth;
And he had a son whose name was Saul,
a handsome young man.
There was not a man among the people of Israel
more handsome than he;
From his shoulders upward
he was taller than any of the people.
†
Now the asses of Kish, Saul’s father,
were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son,
“Take one of the servants with you, and arise,
go and look for the asses.”
And they passed through the hill country of Ephraim †
and passed through the land of Shalishah,
but they did not find them.
And they passed through the land of Shaalim,
but they were not there.
Then they passed through the land of Benjamin,
but did not find them.
When they came to the land of Zuph,
Saul said to his servant who was with him,
“Come, let us go back, †
lest my father cease to care about the asses
and become anxious about us.”
But he said to him, “Behold,
there is a man of God in this city,
And he is a man that is held in honor;
all that he says comes true.
Let us go there; perhaps he can tell us
about the journey on which we have set out.”
Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go,
what can we bring the man?
For the bread in our sacks is gone, †
and there is no present to bring to the man of God.
What have we?”
The servant answered Saul again,
“Here, I have with me the fourth part of a shekel of silver,
And I will give it to the man of God,
to tell us our way.”
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God,
he said, “Come, let us go to the seer”;
For he who is now called a prophet
was formerly called a seer.)
And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.”
So they went to the city where the man of God was.
†
As they went up the hill to the city, †
they met young maidens coming out to draw water,
and said to them, “Is the seer here?”
They answered, “He is;
behold, he is just ahead of you.
Make haste; he has come just now to the city,
because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place.
As soon as you enter the city, you will find him,
before he goes up to the high place to eat;
For the people will not eat till he comes, †
since he must bless the sacrifice;
afterward those eat who are invited.
Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.”
So they went up to the city.
†
As they were entering the city, †
they saw Samuel coming out toward them
on his way up to the high place.
Now the day before Saul came,
the Lord had revealed to Samuel:
“Tomorrow about this time
I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin,
And you shall anoint him
to be prince over my people Israel.
He shall save my people from the hand of Philistines; †
for I have seen the affliction of my people,
because their cry has come to me.”
When Samuel saw Saul,
the Lord told him,
“Here is the man of whom I spoke to you!
He it is who shall rule over my people.”
Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate,
and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?”
Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer;
go up before me to the high place,
For today you shall eat with me, †
and in the morning I will let you go
and will tell you all that is on your mind.
As for your asses that were lost three days ago, †
do not set your mind on them,
for they have been found.
And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel?
Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?”
Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite,
from the least of the tribes of Israel?
And is not my family the humblest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin?
Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”
†
Then Samuel took Saul and his servant
and brought them into the hall
And gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited,
who were about thirty persons.
And Samuel said to the cook, †
“Bring the portion I gave you,
of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’”
So the cook took up the leg and the upper portion
and set them before Saul;
And Samuel said, “See, what was kept is set before you.
Eat; because it was kept for you
Until the hour appointed,
that you might eat with the guests.”
So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
And when they came down from the high place into the city,
A bed was spread for Saul upon the roof,
and he lay down to sleep.
Then at the break of dawn
Samuel called to Saul upon the roof,
“Up, that I may send you on your way.” †
So Saul arose,
and both he and Samuel went out into the street.
As they were going down to the outskirts of the city,
Samuel said to Saul,
“Tell the servant to pass on before us,
and when he has passed on
Stop here yourself for a while,
that I may make known to you the word of God.”
†
10
Then Samuel took a vial of oil †
and poured it on his head,
and kissed him and said,
“Has not the Lord anointed you
to be prince over his people Israel?
And you shall reign over the people of the Lord
and you will save them from the hand of their enemies round about.
And this shall be the sign to you
that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage.
(1) When you depart from me today
you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb
In the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah,
and they will say to you,
‘The asses which you went to seek are found,
and now your father has ceased to care about the asses
And is anxious about you,
saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’
(2) Then you shall go on from there further
and come to the oak of Tabor;
Three men going up to God at Bethel
will meet you there,
One carrying three kids, †
another carrying three loaves of bread,
and another carrying a skin of wine.
And they will greet you †
and give you two loaves of bread,
which you shall accept from their hand.
(3) After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim,The Hill of God
where there is a garrison of the Philistines;
And there, as you come to the city,
you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place
With harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them,
prophesying.
Then the spirit of the Lord will come mightily upon you, †
and you shall prophesy with them
and be turned into another man.
Now when these signs meet you, †
do whatever your hand finds to do,
for God is with you.
And you shall go down before me to Gilgal;
and behold, I am coming to you
To offer burnt offerings
and to sacrifice peace offerings.
Seven days you shall wait, †
until I come to you
and show you what you shall do.”
†
When he turned his back to leave Samuel, †
God gave him another heart;
and all these signs came to pass that day.
When they came to Gibeah, The Hill
behold, a band of prophets met him;
And the spirit of God came mightily upon him,
and he prophesied among them.
And when all who knew him before
saw how he prophesied with the prophets,
The people said to one another, †
“What has come over the son of Kish?
Is Saul also among the prophets?”
And a man of the place answered,
“And who is their father?”
Therefore it became a proverb,
“Is Saul also among the prophets?”
When he had finished prophesying,
he came to the high place.
†
Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, †
“Where did you go?”
And he said, “To seek the asses;
And when we saw they were not to be found,
we went to Samuel.”
And Saul’s uncle said, “Pray, tell me
what Samuel said to you.”
And Saul said to his uncle,
“He told us plainly that the asses had been found.”
But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken,
he did not tell him anything.
†
Now Samuel called the people together
to the Lord at Mizpah;
And he said to the people of Israel,
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel,
‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, †
and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians
and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’
But you have this day rejected your God,
who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses;
And you have said, ‘No!
but set a king over us.’
Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord
by your tribes and by your thousands.”
Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near,
and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot.
He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families,
and the family of the Matrites was taken by lot;
Finally he brought the family of the Matrites near man by man,
and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot.
But when they sought him,
he could not be found.
So they inquired again of the Lord,
“Did the man come hither?”
And the Lord said, “Behold,
he has hidden himself among the baggage.”
Then they ran and fetched him from there;
and when he stood among the people,
He was taller than any of the people
from his shoulders upward.
And Samuel said to all the people,
“Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen?
There is none like him among all the people.”
And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
Then Samuel told the people the rights
and duties of the kingship;
And he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the Lord.
Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home.
Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, †
and with him went men of valor
whose hearts God had touched.
But some worthless fellows said,
“How can this man save us?”
And they despised him, †
and brought him no present.
But he held his peace.
†
11
Then Nahash the Ammonite
went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead;
And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, †
“Make a treaty with us,
and we will serve you.”
But Nahash the Ammonite said to them,
“On this condition I will make a treaty with you,
That I gouge out all your right eyes,
and thus put disgrace upon all Israel.”
The elders of Jabesh said to him, †
“Give us seven days respite
That we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel.
Then, if there is no one to save us
we will give ourselves up to you.”
†
When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, †
they reported the matter in the ears of the people;
and all the people wept aloud.
Now Saul was coming from the field
behind the oxen;
And Saul said, “What ails the people, †
that they are weeping?”
So they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.
And the spirit of God came mightily upon Saul †
when he heard these words,
and his anger was greatly kindled.
He took a yoke of oxen,
and cut them in pieces
And sent them throughout all the territory of Israel
by the hand of messengers, saying,
“Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel,
so shall it be done to his oxen!”
Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people,
and they came out as one man.
When he mustered them at Bezek, †
the men of Israel were three hundred thousand,
and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
And they said to the messengers who had come,
“Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead:
‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot,
you shall have deliverance.’”
When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh,
they were glad.
Therefore the men of Jabesh said, †
“Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you,
and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.”
And on the morrow Saul put the people in three companies;
and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch,
And cut down the Ammonites until the heat of the day; †
and those who survived were scattered,
so that no two of them were left together.
†
Then the people said to Samuel, †
“Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’
Bring the men, that we may put them to death.”
But Saul said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day,
for today the Lord has wrought deliverance in Israel.”
Then Samuel said to the people, †
“Come, let us go to Gilgal
and there renew the kingdom.”
So all the people went to Gilgal, †
and there they made Saul king
before the Lord in Gilgal.
There they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord,
and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
†
12
And Samuel said to all Israel,
“Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that you have said to me,
And have made a king over you.
And now, behold, the king walks before you;
And I am old and gray,
and behold, my sons are with you;
And I have walked before you from my youth
until this day.
Here I am; testify against me before the Lord
and before his anointed.
Whose ox have I taken?
Or whose ass have I taken?
Or whom have I defrauded?
Whom have I oppressed?
Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe
to blind my eyes with it?
Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” †
They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us
or taken anything from any man’s hand.”
And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you,
and his anointed is witness this day,
That you have not found anything in my hand.”
And they said, “He is witness.”
†
And Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is witness, †
who appointed Moses and Aaron
and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
Now therefore stand still,
that I may plead with you before the Lord
Concerning all the saving deeds of the Lord
which he performed for you and for your fathers.
When Jacob went into Egypt
and the Egyptians oppressed them,
Then your fathers cried to the Lord †
and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron,
who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt,
And made them dwell in this place.
But they forgot the Lord their God;
And he sold them into the hand of Sisera,
commander of the army of Jabin king of Hazor,
And into the hand of the Philistines, †
and into the hand of the king of Moab;
and they fought against them.
And they cried to the Lord, and said, †
‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord,
and have served the Ba′als and the Ashtaroth;
But now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies,
and we will serve you.’
And the Lord sent Jerubba′al and Bedan,Barak (Gk)
and Jephthah, and Samuel,
And delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side;
and you dwelt in safety.
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites
came against you,
You said to me, ‘No, †
but a king shall reign over us,’
when the Lord your God was your king.
And now behold the king whom you have chosen, †
for whom you have asked;
behold, the Lord has set a king over you.
If you will fear the Lord and serve him †
and hearken to his voice
and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord,
And if both you and the king who reigns over you †
will follow the Lord your God,
it will be well;
But if you will not hearken to the voice of the Lord, †
but rebel against the commandment of the Lord,
then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.
Now therefore stand still †
and see this great thing,
which the Lord will do before your eyes.
Is it not wheat harvest today? †
I will call upon the Lord,
that he may send thunder and rain;
And you shall know and see
that your wickedness is great,
Which you have done in the sight of the Lord,
in asking for yourselves a king.”
†
So Samuel called upon the Lord, †
and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day;
and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
And all the people said to Samuel,
“Pray for your servants to the Lord your God,
That we may not die; †
for we have added to all our sins this evil,
to ask for ourselves a king.”
And Samuel said to the people, “Fear not;
you have done all this evil,
Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord,
but serve the Lord with all your heart;
And do not turn aside after mere emptiness tohu †
which cannot profit or save,
for they are emptiness.
For the Lord will not cast away his people,
for his great name’s sake,
Because it has pleased the Lord to make you
a people for himself.
Moreover as for me, †
far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord
by ceasing to pray for you;
And I will instruct you
in the good and the right way.
Only fear the Lord, †
and serve him faithfully with all your heart;
for consider what great things he has done for you.
But if you still do wickedly, †
you shall be swept away,
both you and your king.”
†
13
Saul was . . . years old when he began to reign; and he reigned . . . and two years over Israel.
Saul chose three thousand men of Israel; †
two thousand were with Saul in Michmash
and the hill country of Bethel,
And a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin;
the rest of the people he sent home, every man to his tent.
Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines †
which was at Geba;
and the Philistines heard of it.
And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land,
saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.”
And all Israel heard it said †
that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines,
and also that Israel had become odious to the Philistines.
And the people were called out
to join Saul at Gilgal.
†
And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel,
thirty thousand chariots,
And six thousand horsemen,
and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude;
They came up and encamped in Michmash,
to the east of Beth-aven.
When the men of Israel saw that they were in straits
(for the people were hard pressed),
The people hid themselves in caves and in holes
and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns,
Or crossed the fords of the Jordan
to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul was still at Gilgal,
and all the people followed him trembling.
†
He waited seven days,
the time appointed by Samuel;
But Samuel did not come to Gilgal,
and the people were scattering from him.
So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, †
and the peace offerings.”
And he offered the burnt offering.
As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, †
behold, Samuel came;
and Saul went out to meet him and salute him.
Samuel said, “What have you done?”
And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me,
And that you did not come within the days appointed,
and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash,
I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal,
and I have not entreated the favor of the Lord’;
So I forced myself,
and offered the burnt offering.”
And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly; †
you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God,
which he commanded you;
For now the Lord would have established your kingdom
over Israel for ever.
But now your kingdom shall not continue;
the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart;
And the Lord has appointed him †
to be prince over his people,
because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
And Samuel arose,
and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.
†
And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shu′al, another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the border that looks down upon the valley of Zebo′im toward the wilderness.
Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”; but every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle; and the charge was a pim for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
†
14
One day Jonathan the son of Saul
said to the young man who bore his armor,
“Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison
on yonder side.”
But he did not tell his father.
Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah †
under the pomegranate tree
which is at Migron;
The people who were with him were about six hundred men, †
and Ahijah the son of Ahitub,
Ichabod’s brother,
Son of Phinehas, son of Eli,
the priest of the Lord in Shiloh,
wearing an ephod.
†
And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. †
In the pass, by which Jonathan sought
to go over to the Philistine garrison,
There was a rocky crag on the one side
and a rocky crag on the other side;
The name of the one was Bozez,
and the name of the other Seneh.
The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash,
and the other on the south in front of Geba.
And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor,
“Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised;
It may be that the Lord will work for us; †
for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving
by many or by few.”
And his armor-bearer said to him,
“Do all that your mind inclines to;
Behold, I am with you,
as is your mind so is mine.”
Then said Jonathan, “Behold, †
we will cross over to the men,
and we will show ourselves to them.
If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ †
then we will stand still in our place,
and we will not go up to them.
But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’
then we will go up;
For the Lord has given them into our hand.
And this shall be the sign to us.”
So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines; †
and the Philistines said, “Look,
Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hid themselves.”
And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer, †
and said, “Come up to us,
and we will show you a thing.”
And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, †
“Come up after me;
for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”
Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet,
and his armor-bearer after him.
And they fell before Jonathan,
and his armor-bearer killed them after him;
And that first slaughter,
which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made,
Was of about twenty men
within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acreyoke of land.
And there was a panic in the camp,
in the field, and among all the people;
The garrison and even the raiderstrembled; †
the earth quaked;
and it became a very great panic.
†
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked;
and behold, the multitude was surging hither and thither.
Then Saul said to the people who were with him,
“Number and see who has gone from us.”
And when they had numbered,
behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.
And Saul said to Ahijah, †
“Bring hither the ark of God.”
For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel. †
And while Saul was talking to the priest,
the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more;
And Saul said to the priest,
“Withdraw your hand.”
Then Saul and all the people who were with him
rallied and went into the battle;
And behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow,
and there was very great confusion.
Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time
and who had gone up with them into the camp,
Even they also turned to be with the Israelites
who were with Saul and Jonathan.
Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the hill country of Ephraim †
heard that the Philistines were fleeing,
they too followed hard after them in the battle.
So the Lord delivered Israel that day;
and the battle passed beyond Beth-aven.
†
And the men of Israel were distressed that day;
for Saul laid an oath on the people, saying,
“Cursed be the man who eats food †
until it is evening
and I am avenged on my enemies.”
So none of the people tasted food. †
And all the people came into the forest;
and there was honey on the ground.
And when the people entered the forest,
behold, the honey was dropping,
But no man put his hand to his mouth;
for the people feared the oath.
But Jonathan had not heard his father
charge the people with the oath;
So he put forth the tip of the staff that was in his hand,
and dipped it in the honeycomb,
And put his hand to his mouth;
and his eyes became bright.
Then one of the people said,
“Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying,
‘Cursed be the man
who eats food this day.’”
And the people were faint. †
Then Jonathan said,
“My father has troubled the land;
See how my eyes have become bright,
because I tasted a little of this honey.
How much better if the people had eaten freely today
of the spoil of their enemies which they found;
For now the slaughter among the Philistines
has not been great.”
†
They struck down the Philistines that day
from Michmash to Aijalon.
And the people were very faint; †
the people flew upon the spoil,
and took sheep and oxen and calves,
And slew them on the ground;
And the people ate them with the blood.
Then they told Saul, “Behold, †
the people are sinning against the Lord,
by eating with the blood.”
And he said, “You have dealt treacherously;
roll a great stone to me here.”
And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people,
and say to them, ‘Let every man
Bring his ox or his sheep,
and slay them here, and eat;
And do not sin against the Lord
by eating with the blood.’”
So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night,
and slew them there.
And Saul built an altar to the Lord;
it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.
†
Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night †
and despoil them until the morning light;
let us not leave a man of them.”
And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.”
But the priest said, “Let us draw near hither to God.”
And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines?
Wilt thou give them into the hand of Israel?”
But he did not answer him that day. †
And Saul said, “Come hither, all you leaders of the people;
and know and see how this sin has arisen today.
For as the Lord lives who saves Israel, †
though it be in Jonathan my son,
he shall surely die.”
But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. †
Then he said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side,
and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.”
And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”
Therefore Saul said,
“O Lord God of Israel,
why hast thou not answered thy servant this day?
If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son,
O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim;
But if this guilt is in thy people Israel,
give Thummim.”
And Jonathan and Saul were taken,
but the people escaped.
Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me †
and my son Jonathan.”
And Jonathan was taken.
Then Saul said to Jonathan,
“Tell me what you have done.”
And Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey
with the tip of the staff that was in my hand;
Here I am,
I will die.”
And Saul said, “God do so to me and more also;
you shall surely die, Jonathan.”
Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die,
who has wrought this great victory in Israel?
Far from it! As the Lord lives, †
there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground;
for he has wrought with God this day.”
So the people ransomed Jonathan,
that he did not die.
Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines;
and the Philistines went to their own place.
†
When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; wherever he turned he put them to the worse. And he did valiantly, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.
Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born was Merab, and the name of the younger Michal; and the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahima-az. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he attached him to himself.
†
15
And Samuel said to Saul, †
“The Lord sent me to anoint you king
Over his people Israel;
now therefore hearken to the words of the Lord.
Thus says the Lord of hosts,
‘I will punish what Amalek did to Israel
In opposing them on the way,
when they came up out of Egypt.
Now go and smite Amalek,
and utterly destroy all that they have;
Do not spare them,
but kill both man and woman,
Infant and suckling,
ox and sheep, camel and ass.’”
So Saul summoned the people,
and numbered them in Tela′im,
Two hundred thousand men on foot,
and ten thousand men of Judah.
And Saul came to the city of Amalek,
and lay in wait 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 people of Israel
when they came up out of Egypt.”
So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
And Saul defeated the Amalekites,
From Havilah as far as Shur,
which is east of Egypt.
And he took Agag
the king of the Amalekites alive,
And utterly destroyed all the people
with the edge of the sword.
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;
All that was despised and worthless
they utterly destroyed.
†
The word of the Lord came to Samuel:
“I repent that I have made Saul king;
For he has turned back from following me,
and has not performed my commandments.”
And Samuel was angry;
and he cried to the Lord all night.
And Samuel rose early
to meet Saul in the morning;
And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel,
and behold, he set up a monument for himself
And turned, and passed on,
and went down to Gilgal.”
And Samuel came to Saul, †
and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord;
I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”
And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears,
and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”
Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites;
for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen,
To sacrifice to the Lord your God;
and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! †
I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.”
And he said to him, “Say on.”
And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes,
are you not the head of the tribes of Israel?
The Lord anointed you king over Israel.
And the Lord sent you on a mission,
And said, ‘Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites,
and fight against them until they are consumed.’
Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? †
Why did you swoop on the spoil,
and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”
And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord,
I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me,
I have brought Agag the king of Amalek,
and I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, †
the best of the things devoted to destruction,
to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
And Samuel said, †
“Has 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.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king.”
†
And Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; †
for I have transgressed
the commandment of the Lord and your words,
Because I feared the people
and obeyed their voice.
Now therefore, I pray, pardon my sin, †
and return with me,
that I may worship the Lord.”
And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; †
for you have rejected the word of the Lord,
and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
As Samuel turned to go away, †
Saul laid hold upon the skirt of his robe,
and it tore.
And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn
the kingdom of Israel from you this day,
And has given it to a neighbor of yours,
who is better than you.
And also the Glory of Israel
will not lie or repent;
For he is not a man,
that he should repent.”
Then he said, “I have sinned;
yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel,
And return with me,
that I may worship the Lord your God.”
So Samuel turned back after Saul;
and Saul worshiped the Lord.
†
Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag
the king of the Amalekites.”
And Agag came to him cheerfully.
Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless,
so shall your mother be childless among women.”
And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces
before the Lord in Gilgal.
Then Samuel went to Ramah;
and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.
And Samuel did not see Saul again †
until the day of his death,
but Samuel grieved over Saul.
And the Lord repented
that he had made Saul king over Israel.
†††
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