1 Samuel 7:17

7:17 Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged ¹  Israel there and built an altar to the Lord there.

1 Samuel 15:22

15:22 Then Samuel said,

“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as he does in obedience? ² 

Certainly, ³  obedience ⁴  is better than sacrifice;

paying attention is better than ⁵  the fat of rams.

¹ tn Or perhaps “settled disputes for” (cf. NLT “would hear cases there”; NRSV “administered justice there”).

² tn Heb “as [in] listening to the voice of the Lord.”

³ tn Heb “look.”

⁴ tn Heb “listening.”

⁵ tn The expression “is better” is understood here by ellipsis (see the immediately preceding statement).