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.
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.” and had to be destroyed (see Lev 27.28).
16. “Stop,” Samuel ordered, “and I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”“Tell me,” Saul said.