5. Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley.
6. Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
7. So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt.
8. He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
10. Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying,
11. "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands." And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night.
12. Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal."
13. Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord."
14. But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"
15. Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed."
16. Then Samuel said to Saul, "Wait, and let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak!"
17. Samuel said, "Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel,
18. and the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.'
19. Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord?"