1Samuel said to Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. Now hear the voice of the LORD's words.2Thus says the LORD of Hosts: I have taken note of what Amalek did to Israel when he set an ambush for him on the way as he came up from Egypt.3Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that belongs to him. Do not spare him, but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.4Saul summoned the people and mustered them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.5Saul advanced to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley.6Saul 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 Israelites when they came up from Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.7Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which lies east of Egypt.8He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and he devoted all the people to destruction with the edge of the sword.9But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle—the fatlings and the lambs and everything of value. They were unwilling to devote them to destruction; everything despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.10Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel:11I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions. Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.12Early the next morning Samuel set out to meet Saul. He was told, Saul has gone to Carmel; there he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.13When Samuel reached Saul, Saul said, May you be blessed by the LORD! I have carried out the LORD's instructions.14Samuel said, What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?15Saul answered, The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.16Samuel said to Saul, Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night. Saul replied, Speak.17Samuel said, Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel.18The LORD sent you on the way and said, Go and devote to destruction the sinners, Amalek, and fight against him until you have made an end of them.19Why then did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?20Saul said to Samuel, I did obey the LORD. I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king.21The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.22Samuel replied, Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.24Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed them.25Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD.26Samuel said to Saul, I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, so the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.27As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.28Samuel said to him, The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.29He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.30Saul replied, I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.31So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.32Then Samuel said, Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites. Agag came to him in chains and said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.33Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women. And Samuel put Agag to death before the LORD at Gilgal.34Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.35Until the day of his death, Samuel did not go to see Saul again. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.