1 Samuel · Bible in Basic English
1 Samuel 15 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And Samuel said to Saul, The Lord sent me to put the holy oil on you and to make you king over his people, over Israel: so give ear now to the words of the Lord.
1 Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of Yahweh’s words.
2 The Lord of armies says, I will give punishment to Amalek for what he did to Israel, fighting against him on the way when Israel came out of Egypt.
2 Yahweh of Armies says, ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way when he came up out of Egypt.
3 Go now and put Amalek to the sword, putting to the curse all they have, without mercy: put to death every man and woman, every child and baby at the breast, every ox and sheep, camel and ass.
3 Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4 And Saul sent for the people and had them numbered in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.
4 Saul summoned the people, and counted them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 And Saul came to the town of Amalek, and took up his position in the valley secretly.
5 Saul came to the city of Amalek, and set an ambush in the valley.
6 And Saul said to the Kenites, Go away, take yourselves out from among the Amalekites, or destruction will overtake you with them: for you were kind to the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt. So the Kenites went away from among the Amalekites.
6 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.
7 And Saul made an attack on the Amalekites from Havilah on the road to Shur, which is before Egypt.
7 Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is before Egypt.
8 He took Agag, king of the Amalekites, prisoner, and put all the people to the sword without mercy.
8 He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 But Saul and the people did not put Agag to death, and they kept the best of the sheep and the oxen and the fat beasts and the lambs, and whatever was good, not desiring to put them to the curse: but everything which was bad and of no use they put to the curse.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, of the cattle, of the fat calves, of the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to utterly destroy them; but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
10 Then the Lord said to Samuel,
10 Then Yahweh’s word came to Samuel, saying,
11 It is no longer my pleasure for Saul to be king; for he is turned back from going in my ways, and has not done my orders. And Samuel was very sad, crying to the Lord in prayer all night.
11 “It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night.
12 And early in the morning he got up and went to Saul; and word was given to Samuel that Saul had come to Carmel and put up a pillar, and had gone from there down to Gilgal.
12 Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and Samuel was told, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, turned, passed on, and went down to Gilgal.”
13 And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, May the blessing of the Lord be with you: I have done what was ordered by the Lord.
13 Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, “You are blessed by Yahweh! I have performed the commandment of Yahweh.”
14 And Samuel said, What then is this sound of the crying of sheep and the noise of oxen which comes to my ears?
14 Samuel said, “Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?”
15 And Saul said, They have taken them from the Amalekites: for the people have kept the best of the sheep and of the oxen as an offering to the Lord your God; all the rest we have given up to destruction.
15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God. We have utterly destroyed the rest.”
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, Say no more! Let me give you word of what the Lord has said to me this night. And he said to him, Say on.
16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stay, and I will tell you what Yahweh said to me last night.” He said to him, “Say on.”
17 And Samuel said, Though you may seem little to yourself, are you not head of the tribes of Israel? for the Lord with the holy oil made you king over Israel,
17 Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own sight, weren’t you made the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh anointed you king over Israel;
18 And the Lord sent you on a journey and said, Go and put to the curse those sinners, the Amalekites, fighting against them till every one is dead.
18 and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’
19 Why then did you not do the orders of the Lord, but by violently taking their goods did evil in the eyes of the Lord?
19 Why then didn’t you obey Yahweh’s voice, but took the plunder, and did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight?”
20 And Saul said, Truly, I have done the orders of the Lord and have gone the way the Lord sent me; I have taken Agag, the king of Amalek, and have given the Amalekites up to destruction.
20 Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed Yahweh’s voice, and have gone the way which Yahweh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21 But the people took some of their goods, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which were put to the curse, to make an offering of them to the Lord your God in Gilgal.
21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.”
22 And Samuel said, Has the Lord as much delight in offerings and burned offerings as in the doing of his orders? Truly, to do his pleasure is better than to make offerings, and to give ear to him than the fat of sheep.
22 Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying Yahweh’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For to go against his orders is like the sin of those who make use of secret arts, and pride is like giving worship to images. Because you have put away from you the word of the Lord, he has put you from your place as king.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected Yahweh’s word, he has also rejected you from being king.”
24 And Saul said to Samuel, Great is my sin: for I have gone against the orders of the Lord and against your words: because, fearing the people, I did what they said.
24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
25 So now, let my sin have forgiveness, and go back with me to give worship to the Lord.
25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Yahweh.”
26 And Samuel said to Saul, I will not go back with you: for you have put away from you the word of the Lord, and the Lord has put you from your place as king over Israel.
26 Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected Yahweh’s word, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27 And when Samuel was turning round to go away, Saul took the skirt of his robe in his hand, and the cloth came away.
27 As Samuel turned around to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore.
28 And Samuel said to him, The Lord has taken away the kingdom of Israel from you this day by force, and has given it to a neighbour of yours who is better than you.
28 Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.
29 And further, the Glory of Israel will not say what is false, and his purpose may not be changed: for he is not a man, whose purpose may be changed.
29 Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
30 Then he said, Great is my sin: but still, give me honour now before the heads of my people and before Israel, and come back with me so that I may give worship to the Lord your God.
30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”
31 So Samuel went back after Saul, and Saul gave worship to the Lord.
31 So Samuel went back with Saul; and Saul worshiped Yahweh.
32 Then Samuel said, Make Agag, the king of the Amalekites, come here to me. And Agag came to him shaking with fear. And Agag said, Truly the pain of death is past.
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me!” Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
33 And Samuel said, As your sword has made women without children, so now your mother will be without children among women. And Agag was cut up by Samuel, bone from bone, before the Lord in Gilgal.
33 Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Yahweh in Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah, in the land of Saul.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
35 And Samuel never saw Saul again till the day of his death; but Samuel was sorrowing for Saul: and it was no longer the Lord's pleasure for Saul to be king over Israel.
35 Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death, but Samuel mourned for Saul. Yahweh grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Agag
King of Amalek, whom Saul captured alive against the LORD's command to destroy everything, and whom Samuel hacked to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 15:8; 1 Samuel 15:9; 1 Samuel 15:32
Saul
Israel's first king, anointed by Samuel but later rejected for his disobedience to God.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 9-10; 1 Samuel 15
Cross references (32)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Samuel 9:16; 1 Samuel 12:14; 1 Chronicles 22:12–13; 1 Samuel 13:13; Psalm 2:10–11
- 2 Deuteronomy 25:17–19; Numbers 24:20; Exodus 17:8–16; Hosea 7:2; Amos 8:7
- 3 Deuteronomy 20:16–18; Numbers 24:20; Isaiah 14:21–22; 1 Samuel 22:19; Numbers 31:17
- 4 Joshua 15:24; 1 Samuel 11:8; 1 Samuel 13:15
- 6 Judges 1:16; Numbers 10:29–32; Numbers 24:21–22; Judges 4:11; Exodus 18:19
- 7 Genesis 25:18; Genesis 16:7; 1 Samuel 14:48; 1 Samuel 27:8; Genesis 2:11
- 8 1 Samuel 30:1; Numbers 24:7; Esther 3:1; 1 Kings 20:34–42; Joshua 11:12
- 9 1 Samuel 15:15; 1 Samuel 15:19; 1 Samuel 15:3; Joshua 7:21; 2 Samuel 6:13
- 11 1 Samuel 13:13; Genesis 6:6; Psalm 119:136; 2 Samuel 24:16; Jeremiah 9:18
- 12 Joshua 15:55; 1 Samuel 25:2; 2 Samuel 18:18; 1 Kings 18:42; Joshua 4:8–9
- 13 Judges 17:2; Ruth 3:10; Proverbs 28:13; Proverbs 30:13; Luke 18:11
- 14 Psalm 36:2; Jeremiah 2:22–23; Romans 3:19; Malachi 3:13–15; Jeremiah 2:18–19
- 15 1 Samuel 15:9; 1 Samuel 15:21; Exodus 32:22–23; Genesis 3:12–13; Proverbs 28:13
- 16 1 Samuel 9:27; 1 Kings 22:16; 1 Samuel 12:7
- 17 1 Samuel 15:1–3; 1 Samuel 9:21; 1 Samuel 10:22; 1 Samuel 10:1; Matthew 18:4
- 18 Genesis 15:16; Job 31:3; Genesis 13:13; Numbers 16:38; Proverbs 10:29
- 19 1 Samuel 14:32; 2 Chronicles 33:6; 2 Chronicles 36:12; Jeremiah 7:11; Habakkuk 2:9–12
- 20 1 Samuel 15:13; Matthew 19:20; Romans 10:3; Job 34:5; Job 35:2
- 21 1 Samuel 15:15; Exodus 32:22–23; Genesis 3:13
- 22 Hosea 6:6; Psalm 51:16–17; Proverbs 21:3; Amos 5:21–24; Mark 12:33
- 23 Jeremiah 28:16; 1 Samuel 13:14; Leviticus 20:6; Galatians 5:20; 2 Corinthians 6:16
- 24 2 Samuel 12:13; Isaiah 51:12–13; Proverbs 29:25; Galatians 1:10; Numbers 22:34
- 25 Exodus 10:17
- 26 Hosea 4:6; 1 Samuel 13:14; 1 Samuel 16:1; Jeremiah 6:19; 1 Samuel 15:23
- 27 1 Kings 11:30–31
- 28 1 Samuel 28:17–18; Acts 13:22; Romans 13:1; 1 Samuel 2:7–8; Daniel 4:17
- 29 Numbers 23:19; Ezekiel 24:14; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; 2 Timothy 2:13
- 30 John 12:43; John 5:44; Isaiah 29:13; 2 Timothy 3:5; Luke 18:9–14
- 32 Jeremiah 48:44; Revelation 18:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:3
- 33 Judges 1:7; Genesis 9:6; Matthew 7:2; Revelation 18:6; James 2:13
- 34 1 Samuel 11:4; 1 Samuel 7:17
- 35 1 Samuel 19:24; 1 Samuel 15:11; 1 Samuel 16:1; Jeremiah 9:1–2; Genesis 6:6
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Behold, a ready obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." David also says: "Sacrifice and oblation Thou didst not desire, but mine ears hast Thou perfected; burnt-offerings also for sin Thou hast not required." He thus teaches them that God desires obedience, which renders them secure, rather than sacrifices and holocausts, which avail them …
Again Saul sinned through disobedience, and again Samuel says to him in the word of the Lord, "Because thou hast despised the word of the Lord, the Lord hath despised thee, that thou mayest not be king over Israel." And again for the same sin, when Saul confessed it, and prayed for pardon, and besought Samuel to return with him …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
And He will not be changed, neither will He repent: for He is not as a man, that He should repent; who threatens and does not persist." He to whom it is said, "The Lord will despise thee that thou mayest not be king over Israel," and "The Lord hath rent the kingdom from Israel out of thine hand this …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)