Then Samuel said,“ Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as he does in obedience? Certainly, obedience is better than sacrifice; paying attention is better than the fat of rams.

撒母耳说：“耶和华喜悦燔祭和平安祭，岂如喜悦人听从他的话呢？听命胜于献祭；顺从胜于公羊的脂油。

撒母耳说：“耶和华喜爱燔祭和祭物，岂如喜爱人听从他的话呢？看哪，听命胜于献祭，顺从胜于公羊的脂肪。

撒母耳说：“耶和华喜爱燔祭和祭物，岂如喜爱人听从他的话呢？看哪，听命胜于献祭，顺从胜于公羊的脂肪。

撒母耳说：“耶和华喜欢燔祭和其他祭物，还是喜欢人们听从祂的话？顺服胜于献祭，听从耶和华胜过向祂献上公羊的脂肪。

撒母耳说：“耶和华喜悦燔祭和平安祭，岂像喜悦人听从耶和华的话呢？听从胜过献祭，听命胜过公羊的脂油。

撒母耳说：“耶和华喜悦燔祭和祭物，难道与喜悦人听从耶和华的话等同吗？看哪，听从胜过献祭，听命胜过公绵羊的脂油；

撒母耳說：耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭，豈如喜悅人聽從他的話呢？聽命勝於獻祭；順從勝於公羊的脂油。

撒母耳說：「耶和華喜愛燔祭和祭物，豈如喜愛人聽從他的話呢？看哪，聽命勝於獻祭，順從勝於公羊的脂肪。

撒母耳說：「耶和華喜愛燔祭和祭物，豈如喜愛人聽從他的話呢？看哪，聽命勝於獻祭，順從勝於公羊的脂肪。

撒母耳說：「耶和華喜歡燔祭和其他祭物，還是喜歡人們聽從祂的話？順服勝於獻祭，聽從耶和華勝過向祂獻上公羊的脂肪。

撒母耳說：“耶和華喜悅燔祭和平安祭，豈像喜悅人聽從耶和華的話呢？聽從勝過獻祭，聽命勝過公羊的脂油。

撒母耳說：『永恆主喜愛燔祭和平安祭，哪如喜愛人之聽從永恆主的聲音呢？看哪，聽從勝於獻祭，留心聽、勝於公綿羊的脂肪。

撒母耳說：「耶和華喜悅燔祭和祭物，難道與喜悅人聽從耶和華的話等同嗎？看哪，聽從勝過獻祭，聽命勝過公綿羊的脂油；

撒母耳曰、耶和華豈喜燔祭及他祭、如喜聽其言乎、夫順服愈於祭祀、聽從愈於羊脂、

撒母耳曰、耶和華豈以燔祭禮物為喜、不以聽從其命為喜乎。夫聽命較獻祭尤善、遵言較羊脂愈美。

撒母耳曰、主豈悅火焚祭平安祭、不悅人聽從主命乎、聽命勝於獻祭、順從勝於牡羊脂、

But Samuel replied:“ Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

But Samuel replied,“ What pleases the Lord more? Burnt offerings and sacrifices, or obeying the Lord? It is better to obey than to offer a sacrifice. It is better to do what he says than to offer the fat of rams.

And Samuel said,“ Has 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 listen than the fat of rams.

But Samuel replied,“ What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

Then Samuel said: Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

Samuel said,“ Does the Lord have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than a sacrifice, And to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

So Samuel said:“ Has 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 heed than the fat of rams.

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.

Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

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.

Samuel said,“ Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying Yahweh’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings.

Certainly you do not want a sacrifice, or else I would offer it; you do not desire a burnt sacrifice.The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit– O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.

To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

“ I absolutely despise your festivals! I get no pleasure from your religious assemblies!Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, I will not be satisfied; I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves.Take away from me your noisy songs; I don’t want to hear the music of your stringed instruments.Justice must flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up.

And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Go and learn what this saying means:‘ I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

With what should I enter the LORD’s presence? With what should I bow before the sovereign God? Should I enter his presence with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?Will the LORD accept a thousand rams, or ten thousand streams of olive oil? Should I give him my firstborn child as payment for my rebellion, my offspring– my own flesh and blood– for my sin?He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the LORD really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God.

Consider this: When I spoke to your ancestors after I brought them out of Egypt, I did not merely give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices.I also explicitly commanded them:“ Obey me. If you do, I will be your God and you will be my people. Live exactly the way I tell you and things will go well with you.”

Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. You make that quite clear to me! You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.Then I say,“ Look! I come! What is written in the scroll pertains to me.I want to do what pleases you, my God. Your law dominates my thoughts.”

Be careful what you do when you go to the temple of God; draw near to listen rather than to offer a sacrifice like fools, for they do not realize that they are doing wrong.

If you had known what this means:‘ I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

“ Of what importance to me are your many sacrifices?” says the LORD.“ I am stuffed with burnt sacrifices of rams and the fat from steers. The blood of bulls, lambs, and goats I do not want.When you enter my presence, do you actually think I want this– animals trampling on my courtyards?Do not bring any more meaningless offerings; I consider your incense detestable! You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations, but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations!I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies; they are a burden that I am tired of carrying.When you spread out your hands in prayer, I look the other way; when you offer your many prayers, I do not listen, because your hands are covered with blood.Wash! Cleanse yourselves! Remove your sinful deeds from my sight. Stop sinning!Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow!

For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins.So when he came into the world, he said,“ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.“ Whole burnt offerings and sin- offerings you took no delight in.“ Then I said,‘ Here I am: I have come– it is written of me in the scroll of the book– to do your will, O God.’”When he says above,“ Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sin- offerings you did not desire nor did you take delight in them”( which are offered according to the law),then he says,“ Here I am: I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first to establish the second.By his will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

“ Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law– justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others.

I am not condemning you because of your sacrifices, or because of your burnt sacrifices that you continually offer me.I do not need to take a bull from your household or goats from your sheepfolds.

leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift.

But correct the way you have been living and do what is right. Obey the LORD your God. If you do, the LORD will forgo destroying you as he threatened he would.

For I solemnly warned your ancestors to obey me. I warned them again and again, ever since I delivered them out of Egypt until this very day.

And now, if you will diligently listen to me and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine,

Those are the terms that I charged your ancestors to keep when I brought them out of Egypt, that place which was like an iron-smelting furnace. I said at that time,“ Obey me and carry out the terms of the agreement exactly as I commanded you. If you do, you will be my people and I will be your God.