Canaanite King Defeated

21 When the Canaanite king of Arad,^(A) who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming on the Atharim road, he fought against Israel and captured some prisoners. ² Then Israel made a vow to the Lord, “If you will hand this people over to us, we will completely destroy their cities.”^{(B) 3} The Lord listened to Israel’s request and handed the Canaanites over to them, and Israel completely destroyed them and their cities. So they named the place Hormah.^[a](C)

⁷ They waged war against Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed every male.^(A)

¹³ Moses, the priest Eleazar, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴ But Moses became furious with the officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, who were returning from the military campaign. ¹⁵ “Have you let every female live?” he asked them. ¹⁶ “Yet they are the ones who, at Balaam’s advice, incited the Israelites to unfaithfulness against the Lord in the Peor incident, so that the plague came against the Lord’s community.^{(A) 17} So now, kill every male among the dependents and kill every woman who has gone to bed with a man,^(B)

¹⁷ But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction.^(A) Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live,^(B) because she hid the messengers we sent.

¹⁷ Samuel continued, “Although you once considered yourself unimportant,^(A) haven’t you 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^(B) and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”

²⁰ “But I did obey the Lord!” Saul answered.^[a] “I went on the mission the Lord gave me: I brought back King Agag of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. ²¹ The troops took sheep, goats, and cattle from the plunder—the best of what was set apart for destruction—to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”^(C)

²² Then Samuel said:

²⁴ Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned.^(I) I have transgressed the Lord’s command^(J) and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. ²⁵ Now therefore, please forgive my sin^(K) and return with me so I can worship the Lord.”

²⁶ Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the Lord,^(L) the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” ²⁷ When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the corner of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸ Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today^(M) and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.^{(N) 29} Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel^(O) does not lie or change his mind, for he is not man who changes his mind.”^(P)

³⁰ Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me^(Q) now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the Lord your God.”^{(R) 31} Then Samuel went back, following Saul, and Saul bowed down to the Lord.

³² Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of Amalek.”

Agag came to him trembling,^[b] for he thought, “Certainly the bitterness of death has come.”^[c][d]

³³ Samuel declared:

Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.