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.
War against the Amalekites
1 Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one whom the Lord sent to anoint you king of his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord Almighty says. 2 He is going to punish the people of Amalek because their ancestors opposed the Israelites when they were coming from Egypt. 3 Go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Don't leave a thing; kill all the men, women, children, and babies; the cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.”
4 Saul called his forces together and inspected them at Telem: there were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 from Judah. 5 Then he and his men went to the city of Amalek and waited in ambush in a dry riverbed. 6 He sent a warning to the Kenites, a people whose ancestors had been kind to the Israelites when they came from Egypt: “Go away and leave the Amalekites, so that I won't kill you along with them.” So the Kenites left.
7 Saul defeated the Amalekites, fighting all the way from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt; 8 he captured King Agag of Amalek alive and killed all the people. 9 But Saul and his men spared Agag's life and did not kill the best sheep and cattle, the best calves and lambs, or anything else that was good; they destroyed only what was useless or worthless.
Saul Is Rejected as King
10 The Lord said to Samuel, 11 “I am sorry that I made Saul king; he has turned away from me and disobeyed my commands.” Samuel was angry, and all night long he pleaded with the Lord. 12 Early the following morning he went off to find Saul. He heard that Saul had gone to the town of Carmel, where he had built a monument to himself, and then had gone on to Gilgal. 13 Samuel went up to Saul, who greeted him, saying, “The Lord bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed the Lord's command.”
14 Samuel asked, “Why, then, do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?”
15 Saul answered, “My men took them from the Amalekites. They kept the best sheep and cattle to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have destroyed completely.”
16 “Stop,” Samuel ordered, “and I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”
“Tell me,” Saul said.
17 Samuel answered, “Even though you consider yourself of no importance, you are the leader of the tribes of Israel. The Lord anointed you king of Israel, 18 and he sent you out with orders to destroy those wicked people of Amalek. He told you to fight until you had killed them all. 19 Why, then, did you not obey him? Why did you rush to grab the loot, and so do what displeases the Lord?”
20 “I did obey the Lord,” Saul replied. “I went out as he told me to, brought back King Agag, and killed all the Amalekites. 21 But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God.”
22 Samuel said, “Which does the Lord prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him. 23 Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the Lord's command, he has rejected you as king.”
24 “Yes, I have sinned,” Saul replied. “I disobeyed the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of my men and did what they wanted. 25 But now I beg you, forgive my sin and go back with me, so that I can worship the Lord.”
26 “I will not go back with you,” Samuel answered. “You rejected the Lord's command, and he has rejected you as king of Israel.”
27 Then Samuel turned to leave, but Saul caught hold of his cloak, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today and given it to someone who is a better man than you. 29 Israel's majestic God does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being—he does not change his mind.”
30 “I have sinned,” Saul replied. “But at least show me respect in front of the leaders of my people and all of Israel. Go back with me so that I can worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
32 “Bring King Agag here to me,” Samuel ordered. Agag came to him, trembling with fear, thinking to himself, “What a bitter thing it is to die!” 33 Samuel said, “As your sword has made many mothers childless, so now your mother will become childless.” And he cut Agag to pieces in front of the altar in Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and King Saul went home to Gibeah. 35 As long as Samuel lived, he never again saw the king; but he grieved over him. The Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king of Israel.
