Saul Disobeys the Lord
1 One day, Samuel told Saul:
The Lord told me to choose you to be king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord: 2 “When the Israelites were on their way out of Egypt, the nation of Amalek attacked them. I am the Lord All-Powerful, and now I am going to make Amalek pay!
3 “Go and attack the Amalekites! Destroy them and all their possessions. Don't have any pity. Kill their men, women, children, and even their babies. Slaughter their cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.”
4 Saul sent messengers who told every town and village to send men to join the army at Telaim. There were 210,000 troops in all, and 10,000 of these were from Judah. Saul organized them, 5 then led them to a valley near one of the towns in Amalek, where they got ready to make a surprise attack. 6 Some Kenites lived nearby, and Saul told them, “Your people were kind to our nation when we left Egypt, and I don't want you to get killed when I wipe out the Amalekites. So stay away from them.”
The Kenites left, 7 and Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, which is just east of Egypt. 8 Every Amalekite was killed except King Agag. 9 Saul and his army let Agag live, and they also spared the best sheep and cattle. They didn't want to destroy anything of value, so they only killed the animals that were worthless or weak.
The Lord Rejects Saul
10 The Lord told Samuel, 11 “Saul has stopped obeying me, and I'm sorry that I made him king.”
Samuel was angry, and he cried out in prayer to the Lord all night. 12 Early the next morning he went to talk with Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to Carmel, where he had a monument built so everyone would remember his victory. Then he left for Gilgal.”
13 Samuel finally caught up with Saul, and Saul told him, “I hope the Lord will bless you! I have done what the Lord told me.”
14 “Then why,” Samuel asked, “do I hear sheep and cattle?”
15 “The army took them from the Amalekites,” Saul explained. “They kept the best sheep and cattle, so they could sacrifice them to the Lord your God. But we destroyed everything else.”
16 “Stop!” Samuel said. “Let me tell you what the Lord told me last night.”
“All right,” Saul answered.
17 Samuel continued, “You may not think you're very important, but the Lord chose you to be king, and you are in charge of the tribes of Israel. 18 When the Lord sent you on this mission, he told you to wipe out those worthless Amalekites. 19 Why didn't you listen to the Lord? Why did you keep the animals and make him angry?”
20 “But I did listen to the Lord!” Saul answered. “He sent me on a mission, and I went. I captured King Agag and destroyed his nation. 21 All the animals were going to be destroyed anyway. That's why the army brought the best sheep and cattle to Gilgal as sacrifices to the Lord your God.”
22 “Tell me,” Samuel said. “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn't want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him. 23 Rebelling against God or disobeying him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice. You refused to do what God told you, so God has decided that you can no longer be king.”
24 “I have sinned,” Saul admitted. “I disobeyed both you and the Lord. I was afraid of the army, and I listened to them instead. 25 Please forgive me and come back with me so I can worship the Lord.”
26 “No!” Samuel replied, “You disobeyed the Lord, and I won't go back with you. Now the Lord has said that you can't be king of Israel any longer.”
27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the edge of Samuel's robe. It tore! 28 Samuel said, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he will give it to someone who is better than you. 29 Besides, the eternal God of Israel isn't a human being. He doesn't tell lies or change his mind.”
30 Saul said, “I did sin, but please honor me in front of the leaders of the army and the people of Israel. Come back with me, so I can worship the Lord your God.”
31 Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the Lord. 32 Then Samuel shouted, “Bring me King Agag of Amalek!”
Agag came in chains, and he was saying to himself, “Surely they won't kill me now.”
33 But Samuel said, “Agag, you have snatched children from their mothers' arms and killed them. Now your mother will be without children.” Then Samuel chopped Agag to pieces at the place of worship in Gilgal.
34 Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his home in Gibeah. 35 Even though Samuel felt sad about Saul, Samuel never saw him again.
The Lord Chooses David To Be King
The Lord was sorry he had made Saul the king of Israel.
Sauls tiek atmests
1 Samuēls teica Saulam: “Kungs mani ir sūtījis svaidīt tevi par ķēniņu viņa tautai Israēlam. Tad nu klausies Kunga vārdus. 2 Tā saka Pulku Kungs: es piemeklēšu Amālēku par to, ko tas darījis Israēlam, kad tas tiem stājās pretī, kad tie nāca no Ēģiptes. 3 Tagad ej, satriec Amālēku un nolādi iznīcībai visu, kas tam ir. Nesaudzē tos un nonāvē gan vīrus un sievas, gan bērnus un zīdaiņus, gan vēršus un avis, gan kamieļus un ēzeļus!”
4 Sauls sasauca tautu un nostādīja tos Tlāimā – bija divsimt tūkstoši kājnieku, un desmit tūkstoši bija no Jūdas. 5 Un Sauls devās uz amālēkiešu pilsētu un apmetās slēpnī ielejā. 6 Kēniešiem Sauls teica: “Ejiet! Steidzieties prom un atstājiet amālēkiešus, lai kopā ar viņiem neiznīcinu arī jūs, kuri izrādījāt laipnību visiem Israēla dēliem, kad tie izgāja no Ēģiptes.” Un kēnieši devās prom no amālēkiešiem. 7 Sauls kāva amālēkiešus no Havīlas līdz pat Šūrai, kura pirms Ēģiptes. 8 Amālēka ķēniņu Agagu viņš saņēma dzīvu, bet visus ļaudis iznīcināja ar zobenu. 9 Bet Sauls un viņa ļaudis saudzēja Agagu, kā arī labākos no vēršiem, avīm, teķiem un jēriem un visu, kas labs, un negribēja tos nodot iznīcības lāstam. Bet visas lietas, kas nevērtīgas un atmetamas, viņi iznīcināja.
10 Tad Kunga vārds nāca pār Samuēlu: 11 “Man žēl, ka es iecēlu Saulu par ķēniņu, jo viņš pārstājis man sekot un nepilda manus vārdus.” Un Samuēls aizsvilās un piesauca Kungu visu nakti. 12 Rīta agrumā Samuēls gāja satikt Saulu, un Samuēlam tika teikts: “Sauls bija atnācis uz Karmelu, redzi, viņš uzcēla pieminekli sev pašam, tad griezās atpakaļ pāri kalniem lejā uz Gilgālu.” 13 Samuēls atnāca pie Saula, un Sauls viņam teica: “Esi Kunga svētīts! Es esmu pildījis Kunga vārdus.” 14 Bet Samuēls teica: “Kas tā par avju blēšanu, kas skan man ausīs, un vēršu maurošanu, ko es dzirdu?” 15 Sauls atbildēja: “Atvesti no amālēkiešiem. Labākās avis un vērši, ko ļaudis pasaudzēja, lai upurētu Kungam, tavam Dievam. Bet visu pārējo mēs esam iznīcinājuši.”
16 Samuēls teica Saulam: “Klusē! Es tev stāstīšu, ko Kungs man šonakt teica!” Tas atbildēja: “Runā!”
17 Tad Samuēls teica: “Vai nav tā – kad tu pats sev šķiti mazs, tu kļuvi par Israēla cilšu galvu un Kungs tevi svaidīja par Israēla ķēniņu? 18 Un Kungs tevi sūtīja ceļā, sacīdams: ej un nodod iznīcības lāstam šos grēciniekus amālēkiešus! Karo ar tiem, līdz tie iznīdēti! 19 Kāpēc tu neklausīji Kungu, bet meties uz laupījumu un darīji, kas ļauns Kunga acīs?”
20 Sauls teica Samuēlam: “Bet kā?! Es taču klausīju Kungu un gāju, kurp Kungs mani sūtīja! Es atvedu amālēkiešu ķēniņu Agagu un iznīdēju amālēkiešus. 21 Ļaudis paņēma no laupījuma avis un vēršus par izraudzītu veltījumu, ko Gilgālā upurēt Kungam, tavam Dievam.” 22 Bet Samuēls atbildēja:
“Vai gan Kungam tīkamāki sadedzināmie un kaujamie upuri
par paklausību Kunga balsij?
Redzi, paklausība labāka par upuriem
un uzklausīšana – par auna taukiem!
23 Jo dumpība ir pareģošanas grēks
un elkus turēt ir augstprātība.
Kā tu atmeti Kunga vārdus,
tā viņš atmetīs tevi no ķēniņiem!”
24 Sauls teica Samuēlam: “Es esmu grēkojis, pārkāpis Kunga teikto un tevis piekodināto, jo bijos ļaužu un klausīju tiem. 25 Jel piedod nu manu grēku, griezies ar mani atpakaļ, un es zemošos Kungam.” 26 Bet Samuēls teica Saulam: “Es neiešu atpakaļ kopā ar tevi, jo tu esi atmetis Kunga vārdus un Kungs ir atmetis tevi – tu vairs nebūsi Israēla ķēniņš.”
27 Kad Samuēls pagriezās, lai ietu, Sauls sagrāba viņa tērpa stūri un atrāva to. 28 Un Samuēls viņam teica: “Kungs šodien tev atrāva Israēla ķēniņvalsti un nodeva tavam tuvākajam, kas labāks par tevi. 29 Tiešām Israēla Mūžīgais nekrāpj un nenožēlo, jo viņš nav cilvēks, kas nožēlo.” 30 Nu Sauls saka: “Esmu grēkojis! Tad vismaz pagodini mani tautas vecajo un Israēla priekšā – nāc ar mani atpakaļ, ka es zemojos Kungam, tavam Dievam.” 31 Tad Samuēls sekoja Saulam, un Sauls zemojās Kungam.
32 Samuēls teica: “Atvediet pie manis amālēkiešu ķēniņu Agagu!” Agags nāca pie viņa un priecīgs domāja: “Nu gan nāves rūgtums būs gājis secen!” 33 Bet Samuēls teica: “Kā tavs zobens atņēma mātēm bērnus, tā tava māte būs sieva bez bērniem!” Samuēls nokāva Agagu Kunga priekšā Gilgālā.
34 Tad Samuēls gāja uz Rāmu, bet Sauls devās augšup uz savām mājām Saula Gibā. 35 Un Samuēls vairs netika redzējis Saulu līdz viņa nāves dienai, kaut Samuēls sēroja par Saulu. Bet Kungam bija žēl, ka viņš iecēlis Saulu par Israēla ķēniņu.
