I Samuel 15

vayyomer shemu'el el-sha'ul oti shalakh Adonai limshokhokha lemelekh al-ammo al-yisra'el ve'attah shema leqol divre Adonai

Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one GOD sent to anoint you king over Israel—God’s people. Therefore, listen to GOD’s command!

koh amar Adonai tseva'ot paqadti et asher-asah amaleq leyisra'el asher-sam lo badderekh ba'aloto mimmitsrayim

“Thus said GOD of Hosts: I am exacting the penalty for what Amalek did to Israel, for the assault he made upon them on the road, on their way up from Egypt.

attah lekh vehikkitah et-amaleq vehakharamtem et-kol-asher-lo velo takhmol alayw vehemattah me'ish ad-isha me'olel ve'ad-yoneq mishor ve'ad-seh miggamal ve'ad-khamor

Now go, attack Amalek, and proscribe all that belongs to him. Spare no one, but kill alike men and women, infants and sucklings, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys!”

vayeshamma sha'ul et-ha'am vayyifqedem battela'im matayim elef ragli va'aseret alafim et-ish yehudah

Saul mustered the troops and enrolled them at Telaim: 200,000 men on foot, and 10,000 as Judah’s contingent.

vayyavo sha'ul ad-ir amaleq vayyarev bannakhal

Then Saul advanced as far as the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the wadi.

vayyomer sha'ul el-haqqeni lekhu suru redu mittokh amaleqi pen-osifkha immo ve'attah asitah khesed im-kol-bene yisra'el ba'alotam mimmitsrayim vayyasar qeni mittokh amaleq

Saul said to the Kenites, “Come, withdraw at once from among the Amalekites, that I may not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they left Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.

vayyakh sha'ul et-amaleq mekhavilah bo'akha shur asher al-pene mitsrayim

Saul destroyed Amalek from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is close to Egypt,

vayyitpos et-agag melekh-amaleq khay ve'et-kol-ha'am hekherim lefi-kharev

and he captured King Agag of Amalek alive. He proscribed all the people, putting them to the sword;

vayyakhmol sha'ul veha'am al-agag ve'al-metav hatson vehabbaqar vehammishnim ve'al-hakkarim ve'al-kol-hattov velo avu hakharimam vekhol-hammelakhah nemivzah venames otah hekherimu

but Saul and the troops spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the second-born, the lambs, and all else that was of value. They would not proscribe them; they proscribed only what was cheap and worthless.

vayehi devar-Adonai el-shemu'el lemor

The word of GOD then came to Samuel:

nikhamti ki-himlakhti et-sha'ul lemelekh ki-shav me'akharay ve'et-devaray lo heqim vayyikhar lishmu'el vayyizaq el-Adonai kol-hallayelah

“I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from Me and has not carried out My commands.” Samuel was distressed and he entreated GOD all night long.

vayyashkem shemu'el liqrat sha'ul babboqer vayyuggad lishmu'el lemor ba-sha'ul hakkarmelah vehinneh matsiv lo yad vayyissov vayya'avor vayyered haggilgal

Early in the morning Samuel went to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel, where he erected a monument for himself; then he left and went on down to Gilgal.”

vayyavo shemu'el el-sha'ul vayyomer lo sha'ul barukh attah la-Adonai haqimoti et-devar Adonai

When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of GOD! I have fulfilled GOD’s command.”

vayyomer shemu'el umeh qol-hatson hazzeh be'oznay veqol habbaqar asher anokhi shomea

“Then what,” demanded Samuel, “is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of oxen that I hear?”

vayyomer sha'ul me'amaleqi hevi'um asher khamal ha'am al-metav hatson vehabbaqar lema'an zevoakh la-Adonai elohekha ve'et-hayyoter hekheramnu

Saul answered, “They were brought from the Amalekites, for the troops spared the choicest of the sheep and oxen for sacrificing to the ETERNAL your God. And we proscribed the rest.”

vayyomer shemu'el el-sha'ul heref ve'aggidah lekha et asher dibber Adonai elay hallayelah (vymrv) [vayyomer] lo dabber

Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Let me tell you what GOD said to me last night!” “Speak,” he replied.

vayyomer shemu'el halo im-qaton attah be'enekha rosh shivte yisra'el attah vayyimshakhakha Adonai lemelekh al-yisra'el

And Samuel said, “You may look small to yourself, but you are the head of the tribes of Israel. GOD anointed you king over Israel,

vayyishlakhakha Adonai bedarekh vayyomer lekh vehakharamtah et-hakhatta'im et-amaleq venilkhamta vo ad kallotam otam

and GOD sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and proscribe the sinful Amalekites; make war on them until you have exterminated them.’

velammah lo-shamata beqol Adonai vatta'at el-hashalal vatta'as hara be'ene Adonai

Why did you disobey GOD and swoop down on the spoil in defiance of GOD’s will?”

vayyomer sha'ul el-shemu'el asher shamati beqol Adonai va'elekh badderekh asher-shelakhani Adonai va'avi et-agag melekh amaleq ve'et-amaleq hekheramti

Saul said to Samuel, “But I did obey GOD! I performed the mission on which GOD sent me: I captured King Agag of Amalek, and I proscribed Amalek,

vayyiqqakh ha'am mehashalal tson uvaqar reshit hakherem lizboakh la-Adonai elohekha baggilgal

and the troops took from the spoil some sheep and oxen—the best of what had been proscribed—to sacrifice to the ETERNAL your God at Gilgal.”

vayyomer shemu'el hakhefets la-Adonai be'olot uzevakhim kishmoa beqol Adonai hinneh shemoa mizzevakh tov lehaqshiv mekhelev elim

But Samuel said: “Does GOD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As much as in obedience to GOD’s command? Surely, obedience is better than sacrifice, Compliance than the fat of rams.

ki khattat-qesem meri ve'aven uterafim haftsar ya'an ma'asta et-devar Adonai vayyimasekha mimmelekh

For rebellion is like the sin of divination, Defiance, like the iniquity of oracle idols. Because you rejected GOD’s command, [God] has rejected you as king.”

vayyomer sha'ul el-shemu'el khatati ki-avarti et-pi-Adonai ve'et-devarekha ki yareti et-ha'am va'eshma beqolam

Saul said to Samuel, “I did wrong to transgress GOD’s command and your instructions; but I was afraid of the troops and I yielded to them.

ve'attah sa na et-khattati veshuv immi ve'eshtakhaveh la-Adonai

Please, forgive my offense and come back with me, and I will bow low to GOD.”

vayyomer shemu'el el-sha'ul lo ashuv immakh ki ma'astah et-devar Adonai vayyimasekha Adonai mihyot melekh al-yisra'el

But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you; for you have rejected GOD’s command, and GOD has rejected you as king over Israel.”

vayyissov shemu'el lalekhet vayyakhazeq bikhnaf-me'ilo vayyiqqara

As Samuel turned to leave, Saul seized the corner of his robe, and it tore.

vayyomer elayw shemu'el qara Adonai et-mamlekhut yisra'el me'alekha hayyom unetanah lere'akha hattov mimmekka

And Samuel said to him, “GOD has this day torn the kingship over Israel away from you and has given it to another who is worthier than you.

vegam netsakh yisra'el lo yeshaqqer velo yinnakhem ki lo adam hu lehinnakhem

Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not deceive or have a change of heart, for [God] is not human to have a change of heart.”

vayyomer khatati attah kabbedeni na neged ziqne-ammi veneged yisra'el veshuv immi vehishtakhaveti la-Adonai elohekha

But [Saul] pleaded, “I did wrong. Please, honor me in the presence of the elders of my people and in the presence of Israel, and come back with me until I have bowed low to the ETERNAL your God.”

vayyashov shemu'el akhare sha'ul vayyishtakhu sha'ul la-Adonai

So Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul bowed low to GOD.

vayyomer shemu'el haggishu elay et-agag melekh amaleq vayyelekh elayw agag ma'adannot vayyomer agag akhen sar mar-hammavet

Samuel said, “Bring forward to me King Agag of Amalek.” Agag approached him with faltering steps; and Agag said, “Ah, bitter death is at hand!”

vayyomer shemu'el ka'asher shikkelah nashim kharbekha ken-tishkal minnashim immekha vayeshassef shemu'el et-agag lifne Adonai baggilgal

Samuel said: “As your sword has bereaved women, So shall your mother be bereaved among women.” And Samuel cut Agag down before GOD at Gilgal.

vayyelekh shemu'el haramatah vesha'ul alah el-beto givat sha'ul

Samuel then departed for Ramah, and Saul went up to his home at Gibeah of Saul.

velo-yasaf shemu'el lirot et-sha'ul ad-yom moto ki-hitabbel shemu'el el-sha'ul va-Adonai nikham ki-himlikh et-sha'ul al-yisra'el

Samuel never saw Saul again to the day of his death. But Samuel grieved over Saul, because GOD regretted having made Saul king over Israel.