Discovery Box1 Samuel 15:20-24 
Context15:20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed 1 the Lord! I went on the campaign 2 the Lord sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites. 15:21 But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle – the best of what was to be slaughtered – to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
15:22 Then Samuel said,
“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as he does in obedience? 3
Certainly, 4 obedience 5 is better than sacrifice;
paying attention is better than 6 the fat of rams.
15:23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and presumption is like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as 7 king.”
15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded 8 and what you said as well. 9 For I was afraid of the army, and I followed their wishes. 10
1 tn Heb “listened to the voice of the
2 tn Heb “journey.”
3 tn Heb “as [in] listening to the voice of the
4 tn Heb “look.”
5 tn Heb “listening.”
6 tn The expression “is better” is understood here by ellipsis (see the immediately preceding statement).
7 tn Or “from [being].”
8 tn Heb “the mouth of the
9 tn Heb “and your words.”
10 tn Heb “and I listened to their voice.”
