1 Samuel 15:17-20

Context
15:17 Samuel said, “Is it not true that when you were insignificant in your own eyes, you became head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord chose¹ you as king over Israel. 15:18 The Lord sent you on a campaign² saying, ‘Go and exterminate those sinful Amalekites! Fight against them until you³ have destroyed them.’ 15:19 Why haven’t you obeyed⁴ the Lord? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord’s estimation.”⁵

15:20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed⁶ the Lord! I went on the campaign⁷ the Lord sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites.

[15:17] ¹tn Heb “anointed.”

[15:18] ²tn Heb “journey.”

[15:18] ³tc The translation follows the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targum in reading the second person singular suffix (“you”) rather than the third person plural suffix of the MT (“they”).

[15:19] ⁴tn Heb “listened to the voice of the Lord.”

[15:19] ⁵tn Heb “you have done what is evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

[15:20] ⁶tn Heb “listened to the voice of the Lord.”

[15:20] ⁷tn Heb “journey.”