[15:10] The Lord said to Samuel,
[15:11] “I am sorry that I made Saul king; he has turned away from me and disobeyed my commands.” Samuel was angry, and all night long he pleaded with the Lord.
[15:12] Early the following morning he went off to find Saul. He heard that Saul had gone to the town of Carmel, where he had built a monument to himself, and then had gone on to Gilgal.
[15:13] Samuel went up to Saul, who greeted him, saying, “The Lord bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed the Lord's command.”
[15:14] Samuel asked, “Why, then, do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?”
[15:15] Saul answered, “My men took them from the Amalekites. They kept the best sheep and cattle to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have destroyed completely.”
[15:16] “Stop,” Samuel ordered, “and I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul said.
[15:17] Samuel answered, “Even though you consider yourself of no importance, you are the leader of the tribes of Israel. The Lord anointed you king of Israel,
[15:18] and he sent you out with orders to destroy those wicked people of Amalek. He told you to fight until you had killed them all.
[15:19] Why, then, did you not obey him? Why did you rush to grab the loot, and so do what displeases the Lord?”
[15:20] “I did obey the Lord,” Saul replied. “I went out as he told me to, brought back King Agag, and killed all the Amalekites.
[15:21] But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God.”
[15:22] Samuel said, “Which does the Lord prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him.
[15:23] Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the Lord's command, he has rejected you as king.”
[15:24] “Yes, I have sinned,” Saul replied. “I disobeyed the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of my men and did what they wanted.
[15:25] But now I beg you, forgive my sin and go back with me, so that I can worship the Lord.”
[15:26] “I will not go back with you,” Samuel answered. “You rejected the Lord's command, and he has rejected you as king of Israel.”
[15:27] Then Samuel turned to leave, but Saul caught hold of his cloak, and it tore.
[15:28] Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today and given it to someone who is a better man than you.
[15:29] Israel's majestic God does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being—he does not change his mind.”
[15:30] “I have sinned,” Saul replied. “But at least show me respect in front of the leaders of my people and all of Israel. Go back with me so that I can worship the Lord your God.”
[15:31] So Samuel went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
[15:32] “Bring King Agag here to me,” Samuel ordered. Agag came to him, trembling with fear, thinking to himself, “What a bitter thing it is to die!”
[15:33] Samuel said, “As your sword has made many mothers childless, so now your mother will become childless.” And he cut Agag to pieces in front of the altar in Gilgal.
[15:34] Then Samuel went to Ramah, and King Saul went home to Gibeah.
[15:35] As long as Samuel lived, he never again saw the king; but he grieved over him. The Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king of Israel.