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¹ And Samuel seide to Saul, The Lord sente me, that Y schulde anoynte thee in to `kyng on his puple Israel; now therfor here thou the vois `of the Lord.² The Lord of oostis seith thes thingis, Y haue rikenyd what euer thingis Amalech dide to Israel; hou Amalech ayenstood Israel in the weie, whanne he stiede from Egipt.³ Now therfor go thou, and sle Amalech, and distruye thou alle `thingis of hym; spare thou not hym, and coueyte thou not ony thing of hise thingis; but sle thou fro man `til to womman, and a litil child, and soukynge, an oxe, and scheep, and camel, and asse.⁴ Therfor Saul comaundide to the puple, and he noumbride hem as lambren twei hundrid thousynde of foot men, and ten thousynde of men of Juda.⁵ And whanne Saul cam to the citee of Amalech, he made redi buyschementis in the stronde.⁶ And Saul seide to Cyney, Go ye, departe ye, and go ye awei fro Amalech, lest perauenture Y wlappe thee in with hem; for thou didist mercy with alle the sones of Israel, whanne thei stieden fro Egipt. And Cyney departide fro the myddis of Amalech.⁷ And Saul smoot Amalech fro Euila, til thou come to Sur, which is ayens Egipt.⁸ And he took Agag quyke, the kyng of Amalech; sotheli he killide bi the scharpnesse of swerd alle the comyn puple.⁹ And Saul and the puple sparide Agag, and the beste flockis of scheep, and of grete beestis, and clothis, and rammes, and alle thingis that weren faire; and thei nolden destrie tho; sotheli what euer thing was vijl, and repreuable, thei distrieden this.

¹⁰ Forsothe the word of the Lord was maad to Samuel,¹¹ and seide, It repentith me, that Y made Saul kyng; for he forsook me, and fillide not my wordis in werk. And Samuel was sory, and he criede to the Lord in al the nyyt.¹² And whanne Samuel hadde rise bi nyyt to go eerly to Saul, it was teld to Samuel, that Saul hadde come in to Carmel, and hadde reisid to hym a signe of victorye; and that he hadde turned ayen, and hadde passid, and hadde go doun in to Galgala. Therfor Samuel cam to Saul, and Saul offride brent sacrifice to the Lord of the cheef thingis of preies, whiche he hadde brouyt fro Amalech.¹³ And the while Samuel cam to Saul, Saul seide to hym, Blessid be thou of the Lord, Y haue fillid the `word of the Lord.<sup>14</sup> And Samuel seide, And what is the vois of flockis, that sowneth in myn eeris, and of grete beestis, whiche Y here?<sup>15</sup> And Saul seide, Thei brouyten tho fro Amalech, for the puple sparide the betere scheep and grete beestis, that tho schulden be offrid to thi Lord God; sotheli we killiden the tothere beestis.<sup>16</sup> Forsothe Samuel seide to Saul, Suffre thou me, and Y schal schewe to thee what thingis the Lord spak to me in the nyyt. And he seide to Samuel, Speke thou.<sup>17</sup> And Samuel seide, Whether not, whanne thou were litil in thin iyen, thou were maade heed in the lynages of Israel, and the Lord anoyntide thee in to kyng on Israel;<sup>18</sup> and the Lord sente thee in to the weie, and seide, Go thou, and sle the synneris of Amalech, and thou schalt fiyte ayens hem `til to sleyng of hem.¹⁹ 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?<sup>20</sup> And Saul seide to Samuel, Yhis, Y herde the `vois of the Lord, and Y yede in the weie, bi which the Lord sente me, and Y haue brouyt Agag, the kyng of Amalech, and Y killide Amalech.²¹ Forsothe the puple took of the prey, scheep and oxun, the firste fruytis of tho thingis, that ben slayn, that thei make sacrifice to her Lord God in Galgalis.²² And Samuel seide, Whether the Lord wole brent sacrifices, ethir slayn sacrifices, and not more that me obeie to the vois of the Lord? For obedience is betere than sacrifices, and to `herkene Goddis word is more than to offre the ynnere fatnesse of rammes;<sup>23</sup> for it is as the synne of mawmetrie to `fiyte ayens Goddis heest, and it is as the wickidnesse of ydolatrie to nyle `ascente to Goddis heest. Therfor for that, that thou castidist awey the word of the Lord, the Lord castide thee awei, that thou be not kyng.

²⁴ And Saul seide to Samuel, Y synnede, for Y brak the word of the Lord, and thi wordis; `and Y dredde the puple, `and obeiede to `the vois of hem; but now,<sup>25</sup> Y biseche, bere thou my synne, and turne thou ayen with me, that Y worschipe the Lord.<sup>26</sup> And Samuel seide to Saul, Y schal not turne ayen with thee, for thou castidist awey the word of the Lord, and the Lord castide awei thee, that thou be not king on Israel.<sup>27</sup> And Samuel turnede to go a wey; sotheli Saul took the ende of the mentil of Samuel, which also was to-rent.<sup>28</sup> And Samuel seide to hym, The Lord hath kit the rewme of Israel fro thee to dai, and yaf it to thi neiybore betere than thou;<sup>29</sup> certis the ouercomere in Israel schal not spare, and he schal not be bowid bi repentaunce; for he is not man, `that is, chaungeable, that he do repentaunce.³⁰ And Saul seide, Y synnede; but now onoure thou me bifor the eldere men of my puple, and bifor Israel, and turne thou ayen with me, that Y worschipe thi Lord God.³¹ Therfor Samuel turnede ayen, and suede Saul, and Saul worschipide the Lord.

³² And Samuel seide, Brynge ye to me Agag, the kyng of Amalech. And Agag `moost fat tremblynge was brouyt to hym. And Agag seide, Whether thus departith bitter deeth?<sup>33</sup> And Samuel seide, As thi swerd made wymmen with out fre children, so thi modir schal be with out fre children among wymmen. And Samuel kittide hym in to gobetis bifor the Lord in Galgalis.<sup>34</sup> Forsothe Samuel yede in to Ramatha; sotheli Saul stiede in to his hows in Gabaa.<sup>35</sup> And Samuel siy no more Saul `til to the dai of his deeth; netheles Samuel biweilide Saul, for it repentide the Lord, that he hadde ordeyned Saul kyng on Israel.