1 Samuel 15:19

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why did you rush on the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”

Hebrew Names Version
Why then didn't you obey the voice of the LORD, but flew on the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD?"

King James Version
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord , but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord ?

Lexham English Bible
Why did you not listen to the voice of Yahweh and fall with shouting on the plunder? You have done evil in the sight of Yahweh!"

English Standard Version
Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord ? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord ?"

New Century Version
Why didn't you obey the Lord ? Why did you take the best things? Why did you do what the Lord said was wrong?"

New English Translation
Why haven't you obeyed the Lord ? Instead you have greedily rushed upon the plunder! You have done what is wrong in the Lord 's estimation."

Amplified Bible
"Why did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but [instead] swooped down on the plunder [with shouts of victory] and did evil in the sight of the LORD?"

New American Standard Bible
"Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Instead, you loudly rushed upon the spoils and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD!"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe wherefore hast thou not obeyed the voyce of the Lorde, but hast turned to the pray, and hast done wickedly in the sight of the Lord?

Legacy Standard Bible
Why then did you not obey the voice of Yahweh, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh?"

Contemporary English Version
Why didn't you listen to the Lord ? Why did you keep the animals and make him angry?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Why did you seize the spoil instead of paying attention to what Adonai said? From Adonai 's viewpoint, you have done an evil thing."

Darby Translation
Why then didst thou not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, but didst fall upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of Jehovah?

Easy-to-Read Version
So why didn't you listen to the Lord ? You did what the Lord said is wrong because you wanted to keep what you took in battle."

George Lamsa Translation
Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but have spared the plunder, and have done evil in the sight of the LORD?

Good News Translation
Why, then, did you not obey him? Why did you rush to grab the loot, and so do what displeases the Lord ?"

Literal Translation
Then why did you not listen to the voice of Jehovah? Yea, you flew on the spoil, and did you not do evil in the eyes of Jehovah.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore hast thou not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE, but hast turned thy selfe to the spoyle, and done euell in the sighte of the LORDE?

American Standard Version
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of Jehovah, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah?

Bible in Basic English
Why then did you not do the orders of the Lord, but by violently taking their goods did evil in the eyes of the Lord?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And wherfore hast thou not hearkened vnto the voyce of the Lorde? but hast turned to the praye, and hast done that which is wicked in the syght of the Lorde?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Wherefore then didst thou not hearken to the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst that which was evil in the sight of the LORD?'

King James Version (1611)
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst flie vpon the spoile, and didst euill in the sight of the Lord ?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And why didst not thou hearken to the voice of the Lord, but didst haste to fasten upon the spoils, and didst that which was evil in the sight of the Lord?

English Revised Version
wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst that which was evil in the sight of the LORD?

Berean Standard Bible
So why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you rush upon the plunder and do evil in the sight of the LORD?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whi therfor herdist thou not the vois of the Lord, but thou were turned to prey, and didist yuel in the `iyen of the Lord?

Young's Literal Translation
and why hast thou not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah -- and dost fly unto the spoil, and dost do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah?'

Update Bible Version
Why then didn't you obey the voice of Yahweh, but flew on the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh?

Webster's Bible Translation
Why then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

World English Bible
Why then didn't you obey the voice of Yahweh, but flew on the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh?"

New King James Version
Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?"

New Living Translation
Why haven't you obeyed the Lord ? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord 's sight?"

New Life Bible
Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? You rushed upon what was left after the battle and did what was sinful in the Lord's eyes."

New Revised Standard
Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord ? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord ?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wherefore, then, didst thou not hearken unto the voice of Yahweh, - but didst rush upon the spoil, and do that which was wrong in the sight of Yahweh?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Why then didst thou not hearken to the voice of the Lord: but hast turned to the prey, and hast done evil in the eyes of the Lord?

Revised Standard Version
Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop on the spoil, and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?"

Contextual Overview

¹⁰Then God spoke to Samuel: "I'm sorry I ever made Saul king. He's turned his back on me. He refuses to do what I tell him." Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night. He got up early in the morning to confront Saul but was told, "Saul's gone. He went to Carmel to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and then was headed for Gilgal." By the time Samuel caught up with him, Saul had just finished an act of worship, having used Amalekite plunder for the burnt offerings sacrificed to God . As Samuel came close, Saul called out, " God 's blessings on you! I accomplished God 's plan to the letter!" Samuel said, "So what's this I'm hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?" "Only some Amalekite loot," said Saul. "The soldiers saved back a few of the choice cattle and sheep to offer up in sacrifice to God . But everything else we destroyed under the holy ban." "Enough!" interrupted Samuel. "Let me tell you what God told me last night." Saul said, "Go ahead. Tell me." And Samuel told him. "When you started out in this, you were nothing—and you knew it. Then God put you at the head of Israel—made you king over Israel. Then God sent you off to do a job for him, ordering you, ‘Go and put those sinners, the Amalekites, under a holy ban. Go to war against them until you have totally wiped them out.' So why did you not obey God ? Why did you grab all this loot? Why, with God 's eyes on you all the time, did you brazenly carry out this evil?" Saul defended himself. "What are you talking about? I did obey God . I did the job God set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban. So the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to God at Gilgal—what's wrong with that?" Then Samuel said, Do you think all God wants are sacrifices— empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to God 's command, he says No to your kingship. Saul gave in and confessed, "I've sinned. I've trampled roughshod over God 's Word and your instructions. I cared more about pleasing the people. I let them tell me what to do. Oh, absolve me of my sin! Take my hand and lead me to the altar so I can worship God !" But Samuel refused: "No, I can't come alongside you in this. You rejected God 's command. Now God has rejected you as king over Israel." As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed at his priestly robe and a piece tore off. Samuel said, " God has just now torn the kingdom from you, and handed it over to your neighbor, a better man than you are. Israel's God-of-Glory doesn't deceive and he doesn't dither. He says what he means and means what he says." Saul tried again, "I have sinned. But don't abandon me! Support me with your presence before the leaders and the people. Come alongside me as I go back to worship God ." Samuel did. He went back with him. And Saul went to his knees before God and worshiped. Then Samuel said, "Present King Agag of Amalek to me." Agag came, dragging his feet, muttering that he'd be better off dead. Samuel said, "Just as your sword made many a woman childless, so your mother will be childless among those women!" And Samuel cut Agag down in the presence of God right there in Gilgal. Samuel left immediately for Ramah and Saul went home to Gibeah. Samuel had nothing to do with Saul from then on, though he grieved long and deeply over him. But God was sorry he had ever made Saul king in the first place. ¹² Samuel said to Saul, " God sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel. Now, listen again to what God says. This is the God -of-the-Angel-Armies speaking: "‘I'm about to get even with Amalek for ambushing Israel when Israel came up out of Egypt. Here's what you are to do: Go to war against Amalek. Put everything connected with Amalek under a holy ban. And no exceptions! This is to be total destruction—men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys—the works.'" Saul called the army together at Telaim and prepared them to go to war—two hundred companies of infantry from Israel and another ten companies from Judah. Saul marched to Amalek City and hid in the canyon. Then Saul got word to the Kenites: "Get out of here while you can. Evacuate the city right now or you'll get lumped in with the Amalekites. I'm warning you because you showed real kindness to the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." And they did. The Kenites evacuated the place. Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban. Then God spoke to Samuel: "I'm sorry I ever made Saul king. He's turned his back on me. He refuses to do what I tell him." Samuel was angry when he heard this. He prayed his anger and disappointment all through the night. He got up early in the morning to confront Saul but was told, "Saul's gone. He went to Carmel to set up a victory monument in his own honor, and then was headed for Gilgal." By the time Samuel caught up with him, Saul had just finished an act of worship, having used Amalekite plunder for the burnt offerings sacrificed to God . ¹³ As Samuel came close, Saul called out, " God 's blessings on you! I accomplished God 's plan to the letter!" ¹⁴ Samuel said, "So what's this I'm hearing—this bleating of sheep, this mooing of cattle?" ¹⁵ "Only some Amalekite loot," said Saul. "The soldiers saved back a few of the choice cattle and sheep to offer up in sacrifice to God . But everything else we destroyed under the holy ban." ¹⁶ "Enough!" interrupted Samuel. "Let me tell you what God told me last night." Saul said, "Go ahead. Tell me." ¹⁷And Samuel told him. "When you started out in this, you were nothing—and you knew it. Then God put you at the head of Israel—made you king over Israel. Then God sent you off to do a job for him, ordering you, ‘Go and put those sinners, the Amalekites, under a holy ban. Go to war against them until you have totally wiped them out.' So why did you not obey God ? Why did you grab all this loot? Why, with God 's eyes on you all the time, did you brazenly carry out this evil?" ²⁰Saul defended himself. "What are you talking about? I did obey God . I did the job God set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban. So the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to God at Gilgal—what's wrong with that?" ²²Then Samuel said, Do you think all God wants are sacrifices— empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to God 's command, he says No to your kingship.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

fly upon: Proverbs 15:27, Jeremiah 7:11, Habakkuk 2:9-12, 2 Timothy 4:10

didst evil: 2 Chronicles 33:2, 2 Chronicles 33:6, 2 Chronicles 36:12

Reciprocal: Exodus 20:17 - thy neighbour's house Numbers 20:11 - smote Joshua 6:21 - utterly Joshua 11:15 - he left nothing 1 Samuel 14:32 - flew 1 Samuel 15:9 - the best 2 Samuel 12:8 - gave thee 2 Samuel 12:9 - despised 1 Kings 13:21 - thou hast disobeyed 2 Kings 3:2 - General Psalms 89:8 - a strong Hebrews 13:17 - Obey

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord,.... Who had made him king, and sent him on this errand, and gave him such plain directions, and such strong orders to make an entire consumption of Amalek:

but didst fly upon the spoil; like a bird of prey, such as an eagle or vulture, not to devote it to the Lord, by an entire destruction of it, but to seize it for his own use, as being greedily desirous and covetous of it:

and didst evil in the sight of the Lord? by disobeying his commands, from whose sight nothing can be hid.