14. Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep and cattle I hear? ”
15. Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites and spared the best sheep and cattle in order to offer a sacrifice to the Lord your God, but the rest we destroyed.”
16. “Stop! ” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”“Tell me,” he replied.
17. Samuel continued, “Although you once considered yourself unimportant, have you not become the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel
18. and then sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have annihilated them.’
19. So why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why did you rush on the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight? ”
20. “But I did obey the Lord! ” Saul answered. “I went on the mission the Lord gave me: I brought back Agag, king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites.
21. The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder — the best of what was set apart for destruction — to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
22. Then Samuel said:Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrificesas much as in obeying the Lord?Look: to obey is better than sacrifice,to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.