Israel Defeats the Amalekites

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. So then, ⌊listen to the words⌋[fn] of Yahweh! 2 Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘I have observed what Amalek did to Israel, ⌊how he opposed him⌋[fn] when he went up from Egypt. 3 So then, go and attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that is his! You must not spare him, but kill both man and woman, both child and nursing infant, both ox and sheep, both camel and donkey.’ ”

4 Saul summoned the army and mustered them at Telaim; two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 Then Saul came up to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the wadi.[fn] 6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, leave! Withdraw from among the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you with them. You have shown loyal love to all the ⌊Israelites⌋[fn] when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites left from among the Amalekites. 7 Then Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as one goes to Shur which is ⌊east of⌋[fn] Egypt. 8 He captured Agag the king of Amalek alive, but all the people he utterly destroyed with the ⌊edge⌋[fn] of the sword. 9 However, Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and the cattle and the second best of the young fatlings and ⌊all that was valuable⌋;[fn] they were not willing to utterly destroy them. But all the possessions that were despised or worthless, they utterly destroyed.