So now I tell you to obey my commands. Keep my Agreement. If you do this, then you will be my own special people. The whole world belongs to me. But I am choosing you to be my own special people.
1 Samuel 15:22 - Easy To Read Version But Samuel answered, “Which pleases the Lord more: burnt offerings and sacrifices [138] or obeying the Lord’s command? It is better to obey God than to offer sacrifices to him. It is better to listen to God than to offer the fat from rams. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to hearken than the fat of rams. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. American Standard Version (1901) And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Common English Bible Then Samuel replied, “Does the LORD want entirely burned offerings and sacrifices as much as obedience to the LORD? Listen to this: obeying is better than sacrificing, paying attention is better than fat from rams, Catholic Public Domain Version And Samuel said: "Does the Lord want holocausts and victims, and not instead that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifice. And to heed is greater than to offer the fat of rams. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version And Samuel said: Doth the Lord desire holocausts and victims, and not rather that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifices; and to hearken rather than to offer the fat of rams. |
So now I tell you to obey my commands. Keep my Agreement. If you do this, then you will be my own special people. The whole world belongs to me. But I am choosing you to be my own special people.
Do the things that are right and fair. The Lord loves that better than sacrifices.
Be very careful when you go to worship God. It is better to listen \{to God\} than to give sacrifices {\cf2\super [23]} like foolish people. Foolish people often do bad things, and they don’t even know it.
I am talking about the Agreement I made with your ancestors. {\cf2\super [88]} I made that Agreement with them at the time I brought them out of Egypt. \{Egypt was a place of many troubles—\}it was like an oven hot enough to melt iron. I told those people: Obey me and do everything I command you. If you do this, you will be my people, and I will be your God.
I gave a warning to your ancestors {\cf2\super [92]} at the time I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I warned them again and again to this very day. I told them to obey me.
You people change your lives! You must start doing good things! You must obey the Lord your God. If you do that, then the Lord will change his mind. The Lord will not do the bad things he told you about.
Why? Because I want faithful love,\par not sacrifice,\par \{I want people\} to know God,\par not \{to bring\} burnt offerings.\par
The Israelites love sacrifices. {\cf2\super [82]} \par They offer the meat and eat it.\par The Lord does not accept their sacrifices.\par He remembers their sins.\par And he will punish them.\par They will be carried as prisoners to Egypt.\par
The Scripture {\cf2\super [156]} says, ‘I don’t want animal sacrifices; I want you to show kindness to people.’ {\cf2\super [157]} You don’t really know what those words mean. If you understood those words, then you would not judge those people that have done nothing wrong.
“It will be bad for you teachers of the law and Pharisees. {\cf2\super [341]} You are hypocrites. {\cf2\super [342]} You give God one tenth of everything you own—even your mint, dill, and cummin. {\cf2\super [343]} But you don’t obey the really important teachings of the law—being fair, showing mercy, and being faithful. These are the things you should do. And you should also continue to do those other things.
then leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace with that person. Then come and offer your gift.
I will tell you something. Go and learn what it means: ‘I don’t want animal sacrifices; I want you to show kindness to people.’ {\cf2\super [106]} I did not come to invite good people. I came to invite sinners.”
And a person must love God with all his heart, all his mind, and all his strength. And a person must love other people the same as he loves himself. These commands are more important than all the animals and sacrifices we offer to God.”
I thought to myself, ‘The Philistines will come here and attack me at Gilgal. And I haven’t asked the Lord to help us yet! So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.’”
Samuel said, “You did a foolish thing! You did not obey the Lord your God! If you had obeyed God’s command, then he would have let your family rule Israel forever.