1 Samuel · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
1 Samuel 15 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
1 And Samuel said to Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee king over Israel: and now hear the voice 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 Thus said the Lord of hosts, Now will I take vengeance for what Amalek did to Israel, when he met him in the way as he came up 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 And now go, and thou shalt smite Amalek and Hierim and all that belongs to him, and thou shalt not save anything of him alive, but thou shalt utterly destroy him: and thou shalt devote him and all his [to destruction], and thou shalt spare nothing belonging to him; and thou shalt slay both man and woman, and infant and suckling, and calf and sheep, and 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 summoned the people, and he numbered them in Gilgal, four hundred thousand regular troops, and Judah thirty thousand regular troops.
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 cities of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
5 Saul came to the city of Amalek, and set an ambush in the valley.
6 And Saul said to the Kenite, Go, and depart out of the midst of the Amalekites, lest I put thee with them; for thou dealedst mercifully with the children of Israel when they went up out of Egypt. So the Kenite departed from the midst of Amalek.
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 smote Amalek from Havilah to Shur fronting Egypt.
7 Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is before Egypt.
8 And he took Agag the king of Amalek alive, and he slew all the people and Hierim with the edge of the sword.
8 He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 And Saul and all the people saved Agag alive, and the best of the flocks, and of the herds, and of the fruits, of the vineyards, and of all the good things; and they would not destroy them: but every worthless and refuse thing they destroyed.
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 And the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying,
10 Then Yahweh’s word came to Samuel, saying,
11 I have repented that I have made Saul to be king: for he has turned back from following me, and has not kept my word. And Samuel was grieved, and cried to the Lord 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 Samuel rose early and went to meet Israel in the morning, and it was told Saul, saying, Samuel has come to Carmel, and he has raised up help for himself: and he turned his chariot, and came down to Gilgal to Saul; and, behold, he was offering up a whole burnt offering to the Lord, the chief of the spoils which he brought out of Amalek.
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, Blessed [art] thou of the Lord: I have performed all that the Lord said.
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] the bleating of this flock in my ears, and the sound of the oxen which I hear?
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, I have brought them out of Amalek, that which the people preserved, even the best of the sheep, and of the cattle, that it might be sacrificed to the Lord thy God, and the rest have I utterly destroyed.
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 And Samuel said to Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee 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 to Saul, Art thou not little in his eyes, [though] a leader of one of the tribes of Israel? and [yet] the Lord anointed thee to be 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 thee on a journey, and said to thee, Go, and utterly destroy: thou shalt slay the sinners against me, [even] the Amalekites; and thou shalt war against them until thou have consumed them.
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 And why didst not thou hearken to the voice of the Lord, but didst hasten to fasten upon the spoils, and didst that which was evil in the sight 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 to Samuel, Because I listened to the voice of the people: yet I went the way by which the Lord sent me, and I brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I destroyed Amalek.
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 of the spoils the best flocks and herds [out] of that which was destroyed, to sacrifice before the Lord our 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, Does the Lord take pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in hearing the words of the Lord? behold, obedience [is] better than a good sacrifice, and hearkening than the fat of rams.
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 sin is [as] divination; idols bring on pain and grief. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord also shall reject thee from being king over Israel.
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, I have sinned, in that I have transgressed the word of the Lord and thy direction; for I feared the people, and I hearkened to their voice.
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 And now remove, I pray thee, my sin, and turn back with me, and I will worship the Lord thy God.
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 turn back with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord will reject thee from being 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 Samuel turned his face to depart, and Saul caught hold of the skirt of his garment, and tore it.
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 rent thy kingdom from Israel out of thy hand this day, and will give it to thy neighbor who is better than thou.
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 Israel shall be divided to two: and [God] will not turn nor repent, for he is not as a man to repent.
29 Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.”
30 And Saul said, I have sinned; yet honor me, I pray thee, before the elders of Israel, and before my people; and turn back with me, and I will worship the Lord thy 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 turned back after Saul, and he worshiped the Lord.
31 So Samuel went back with Saul; and Saul worshiped Yahweh.
32 And Samuel said, Bring me Agag the king of Amalek: and Agag came to him trembling; and Agag said, Is death thus bitter?
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 to Agag, As thy sword has bereaved women of their children, so shall thy mother be made childless among women: and Samuel slew Agag 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 And Samuel departed to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
35 And Samuel did not see Saul again till the day of his death, for Samuel mourned after Saul, and the Lord repented that he had made Saul 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)