1Sa 15:16-24 | NASB2020 | STEP | Then Samuel said to Saul , “ Stop , and let me inform you of what the Lord said to me last night .” And he said to him, “ Speak !”

1 Samuel 15:16-24

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop, and let me inform you of what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

17 So Samuel said, “ ^{▼▼Or Though you were..., did you not become}Is it not true, ^bthough you were ^{▼▼Lit small}insignificant in your own eyes, that you became the head of the tribes of Israel? For the Lord anointed you as king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a ^{▼▼Lit way}mission, and said, ‘ ^eGo and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are eliminated.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? ^fInstead, you loudly rushed upon the spoils and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord!”

20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “ ^gI did obey the voice of the Lord, for I went on the ^{▼▼Lit way}mission on which the Lord sent me; and I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But ⁱthe people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things designated for destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 22 Samuel said,

“ ^jDoes the Lord have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, ^kto obey is better than a sacrifice,
And to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.
23 “For rebellion is as reprehensible as the sin of ^ldivination,
And insubordination is as reprehensible as ^mfalse religion and idolatry.
Since you have rejected the word of the Lord,
ⁿHe has also rejected you from being king.”
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “ ^oI have sinned, for ^pI have violated the ^{▼▼Lit mouth}command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.