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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.

“ I hate all your show and pretense— the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps.Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.

And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

Then he added,“ Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture:‘ I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves?Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them.This is what I told them:‘ Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’

You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand— you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.Then I said,“ Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures:I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”

As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God.

But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture:‘ I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’

“ What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord.“ I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings.I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,“ You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer.You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin.Then I said,‘ Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”First, Christ said,“ You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them”( though they are required by the law of Moses).Then he said,“ Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect.For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

“ What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law— justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens.

leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the Lord your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that he has announced against you.

For I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt,“ Obey me!” I have repeated this warning over and over to this day,

Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.

For I said to your ancestors when I brought them out of the iron smelting furnace of Egypt,“ If you obey me and do whatever I command you, then you will be my people, and I will be your God.”