Samuel

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

But Sh'mu'el answered, "If so, why do I hear sheep bleating and cows mooing?"

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!

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.

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.

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.

But Sh'mu'el said to Sha'ul, "I will not go back with you, because you have rejected the word of ADONAI, and ADONAI has rejected you as king over Isra'el."

As Sh'mu'el was turning around to leave, he took hold of the hem of his cloak, and it tore.

Sh'mu'el said to him, "ADONAI has torn the kingdom of Isra'el away from you today and given it to a fellow countryman of yours who is better than you.

So Sh'mu'el followed Sha'ul back, and Sha'ul worshipped ADONAI.

Then Sh'mu'el said, "Bring Agag the king of 'Amalek here to me. Agag came to him in chains and said, "Without doubt, mine will be a bitter death."

Sh'mu'el said, "Just as your sword has left women childless, so will your mother be left childless among women." Then Sh'mu'el cut Agag in pieces before ADONAI in Gilgal.

Sh'mu'el returned to Ramah, and Sha'ul went up to his house in Giv'at-Sha'ul.

Never again did Sh'mu'el see Sha'ul, until the day he died. But Sh'mu'el grieved over Sha'ul, and ADONAI regretted that he had made Sha'ul king over Isra'el.

ADONAI said to Sh'mu'el, "How much longer are you going to go on grieving for Sha'ul, now that I have rejected him as king over Isra'el? Fill your horn with oil, and set out; I will send you to Yishai the Beit-Lachmi, because I have chosen myself a king from among his sons."

Sh'mu'el said, "How can I go? If Sha'ul hears of it, he will have me killed."ADONAI said, "Take a female cow with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to ADONAI.'

Sh'mu'el did what ADONAI said and arrived at Beit-Lechem. The leaders of the city came trembling to meet him and asked, "Are you coming in peace?"

But ADONAI said to Sh'mu'el, "Don't pay attention to how he looks or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. ADONAI doesn't see the way humans see - humans look at the outward appearance, but ADONAI looks at the heart."

Then Yishai called Avinadav and presented him to Sh'mu'el; but he said, "ADONAI hasn't chosen this one either."

Yishai presented seven of his sons to Sh'mu'el; but Sh'mu'el told Yishai, "ADONAI has not chosen these.

Are all your sons here?" Sh'mu'el asked Yishai. He replied, "There is still the youngest; he's out there tending the sheep." Sh'mu'el said to Yishai, "Send and bring him back, because we won't sit down to eat until he gets here."

Sh'mu'el took the horn of oil and anointed him there in his brothers' presence. From that day on, the Spirit of ADONAI would fall upon David with power. So Sh'mu'el set out and went to Ramah.

David fled and escaped, then came to Sh'mu'el in Ramah and told him everything Sha'ul had done to him. So he and Sh'mu'el went and stayed in the prophets'dormitory.

Sha'ul sent messengers to capture David. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Sh'mu'el standing and leading them, the Spirit of God fell on Sha'ul's messengers; and they too began prophesying.