God

So ADONAI saved Isra'el that day, and the battle spread as far as Beit-Aven.

Sha'ul was told, "Look how the people are sinning against ADONAI, eating with the blood." He said, "You have not kept faith! Roll a big stone to me immediately!

Now," Sha'ul said, "go around among the people and tell them, 'Each of you is to bring his cow and his sheep and slaughter them here. Then eat. Don't sin against ADONAI by eating with the blood." So each person brought his animal with him that evening and killed it there.

Sha'ul erected an altar to ADONAI; it was the first altar that he erected to ADONAI.

Sha'ul said, "Let's go after the P'lishtim by night. We'll plunder them until dawn; we won't leave one of them alive." They answered, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the cohen said, "Let's approach God here."

Sha'ul consulted God: "Should I go down in pursuit of the P'lishtim? Will you hand them over to Isra'el?" But he didn't answer him that day.

For, as ADONAI Isra'el's deliverer lives, even if it proves to be Y'honatan my son, he must be put to death." But no one among all the people answered him.

Sha'ul said to ADONAI the God of Isra'el, "Who is right?" Y'honatan and Sha'ul were chosen by lot, and the people went free.

Sha'ul said, "May God do the same to me and more also if you are not put to death, Y'honatan!"

But the people said to Sha'ul, "Must Y'honatan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Isra'el? Heaven forbid! As ADONAI lives, not one hair of his head will fall to the ground; because he worked with God today!" In this way the people rescued Y'honatan, so that he didn't die.

Sh'mu'el said to Sha'ul, "ADONAI sent me to anoint you king over his people, over Isra'el. Now listen to what ADONAI has to say.

Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'I remember what 'Amalek did to Isra'el, how they fought against Isra'el when they were coming up from Egypt.

Then the word of ADONAI came to Sh'mu'el:

"I regret setting up Sha'ul as king, because he has turned back from following me and hasn't obeyed my orders."This made Sh'mu'el very sad, so that he cried to ADONAI all night.

Sh'mu'el went to Sha'ul; Sha'ul said to him, "May ADONAI bless you! I have done what ADONAI ordered."

Sha'ul said, "They brought them from the 'Amaleki, because the people spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to ADONAI your God. But we completely destroyed the rest."

Then Sh'mu'el said to Sha'ul, "Stop! I'm going to tell you what ADONAI said to me last night." He said, "Speak."

Sh'mu'el then said, "You may be small in your own sight, but you are head of the tribes of Isra'el -ADONAI anointed you king over Isra'el!

Now ADONAI sent you on a mission and told you, 'Go and completely destroy 'Amalek, those sinners; keep making war on them until they have been exterminated.

Why did you seize the spoil instead of paying attention to what ADONAI said? From ADONAI's viewpoint, you have done an evil thing."

Sha'ul said to Sh'mu'el, "I did too pay attention to what ADONAI said, and I carried out the mission on which ADONAI sent me. I brought back Agag the king of 'Amalek, and I completely destroyed 'Amalek.

But the people took some of the spoil, the best of the sheep and cattle set aside for destruction, to sacrifice to ADONAI your God in Gilgal."

Sh'mu'el said, "Does ADONAI take as much pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying what ADONAI says? Surely obeying is better than sacrifice, and heeding orders than the fat of rams.

"For rebellion is like the sin of sorcery, stubbornness like the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of ADONAI, he too has rejected you as king."

Sha'ul said to Sh'mu'el, "I have sinned. I violated the order of ADONAI and your words too, because I was afraid of the people and listened to what they said.