¹ さて主はサムエルに言われた、「わたしがすでにサウルを捨てて、イスラエルの王位から退けたのに、あなたはいつまで彼のために悲しむのか。角に油を満たし、それをもって行きなさい。あなたをベツレヘムびとエッサイのもとにつかわします。わたしはその子たちのうちにひとりの王を捜し得たからである」。

² サムエルは言った、「どうしてわたしは行くことができましょう。サウルがそれを聞けば、わたしを殺すでしょう」。主は言われた、「一頭の子牛を引いていって、『主に犠牲をささげるためにきました』と言いなさい。

³ そしてエッサイを犠牲の場所に呼びなさい。その時わたしはあなたのすることを示します。わたしがあなたに告げる人に油を注がなければならない」。

⁴ サムエルは主が命じられたようにして、ベツレヘムへ行った。町の長老たちは、恐れながら出て、彼を迎え、「穏やかな事のためにこられたのですか」と言った。

⁵ サムエルは言った、「穏やかな事のためです。わたしは主に犠牲をささげるためにきました。身をきよめて、犠牲の場所にわたしと共にきてください」。そしてサムエルはエッサイとその子たちをきよめて犠牲の場に招いた。

⁶ 彼らがきた時、サムエルはエリアブを見て、「自分の前にいるこの人こそ、主が油をそそがれる人だ」と思った。

⁷ しかし主はサムエルに言われた、「顔かたちや身のたけを見てはならない。わたしはすでにその人を捨てた。わたしが見るところは人とは異なる。人は外の顔かたちを見、主は心を見る」。

⁸ そこでエッサイはアビナダブを呼んでサムエルの前を通らせた。サムエルは言った、「主が選ばれたのはこの人でもない」。

⁹ エッサイはシャンマを通らせたが、サムエルは言った、「主が選ばれたのはこの人でもない」。

¹⁰ エッサイは七人の子にサムエルの前を通らせたが、サムエルはエッサイに言った、「主が選ばれたのはこの人たちではない」。

¹¹ サムエルはエッサイに言った、「あなたのむすこたちは皆ここにいますか」。彼は言った、「まだ末の子が残っていますが羊を飼っています」。サムエルはエッサイに言った、「人をやって彼を連れてきなさい。彼がここに来るまで、われわれは食卓につきません」。

¹² そこで人をやって彼をつれてきた。彼は血色のよい、目のきれいな、姿の美しい人であった。主は言われた、「立ってこれに油をそそげ。これがその人である」。

¹³ サムエルは油の角をとって、その兄弟たちの中で、彼に油をそそいだ。この日からのち、主の霊は、はげしくダビデの上に臨んだ。そしてサムエルは立ってラマへ行った。

¹⁴ さて主の霊はサウルを離れ、主から来る悪霊が彼を悩ました。

¹⁵ サウルの家来たちは彼に言った、「ごらんなさい。神から来る悪霊があなたを悩ましているのです。

¹⁶ どうぞ、われわれの主君が、あなたの前に仕えている家来たちに命じて、じょうずに琴をひく者ひとりを捜させてください。神から来る悪霊があなたに臨む時、彼が手で琴をひくならば、あなたは良くなられるでしょう」。

¹⁷ そこでサウルは家来たちに言った、「じょうずに琴をひく者を捜して、わたしのもとに連れてきなさい」。

¹⁸ その時、ひとりの若者がこたえた、「わたしはベツレヘムびとエッサイの子を見ましたが、琴がじょうずで、勇気もあり、いくさびとで、弁舌にひいで、姿の美しい人です。また主が彼と共におられます」。

¹⁹ そこでサウルはエッサイのもとに使者をつかわして言った、「羊を飼っているあなたの子ダビデをわたしのもとによこしなさい」。

²⁰ エッサイは、ろばにパンを負わせ、皮袋にいれたぶどう酒一袋と、やぎの子とを取って、その子ダビデの手によってサウルに送った。

²¹ ダビデはサウルのもとにきて、彼に仕えた。サウルはひじょうにこれを愛して、その武器を執る者とした。

²² またサウルは人をつかわしてエッサイに言った、「ダビデをわたしに仕えさせてください。彼はわたしの心にかないました」。

²³ 神から出る悪霊がサウルに臨む時、ダビデは琴をとり、手でそれをひくと、サウルは気が静まり、良くなって、悪霊は彼を離れた。

¹ Samuel said to Saul, "Yahweh sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of the words of Yahweh.

² Thus says Yahweh of Armies, 'I have marked that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt.

³ Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don't spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

⁴ Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

⁵ Saul came to the city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

⁶ Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

⁷ Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt.

⁸ He took 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, and of the cattle, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and wouldn't utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

¹⁰ Then the word of Yahweh came to Samuel, saying,

¹¹ "It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments." Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night.

¹² Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal."

¹³ Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, "You are blessed by Yahweh! I have performed the commandment of Yahweh."

¹⁴ Samuel said, "Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?"

¹⁵ Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God. We have utterly destroyed the rest."

¹⁶ Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stay, and I will tell you what Yahweh has said to me last night." He said to him, "Say on."

¹⁷ Samuel said, "Though you were little in your own sight, weren't you made the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh anointed you king over Israel;

¹⁸ and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, 'Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.'

¹⁹ Why then didn't you obey the voice of Yahweh, but took the spoils, and did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh?"

²⁰ Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of Yahweh, and have gone the way which Yahweh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹ But the people took of the spoil, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal."

²² Samuel said, "Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has also rejected you from being king."

²⁴ Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

²⁵ Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Yahweh."

²⁶ Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of Yahweh, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel."

²⁷ As Samuel turned about to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore.

²⁸ Samuel said to him, "Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.

²⁹ Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent."

³⁰ Then he said, "I have sinned: yet please honor me now before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God."

³¹ So Samuel went back with Saul; and Saul worshiped Yahweh.

³² Then Samuel said, "Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites!" Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

³³ Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!" Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Yahweh in Gilgal.

³⁴ Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵ Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul: and Yahweh grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.