1. One day, Samuel told Saul:The Lord made me 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 two hundred and ten thousand troops in all, and ten thousand 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. Leave here and 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.
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.”