“ Stop!” exclaimed Samuel.“ Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.”“ Tell me,” he replied.Samuel continued,“ Although you once considered yourself unimportant, haven’t you become the leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israeland then sent you on a mission and said,‘ Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have annihilated them.’So why didn’t you obey the LORD? Why did you rush on the plunder and do what was evil in the LORD’s sight?”“ But I did obey the LORD!” Saul answered.“ I went on the mission the LORD gave me: I brought back King Agag of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites.The troops took sheep, goats, and cattle from the plunder— the best of what was set apart for destruction— to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”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.For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.Saul answered Samuel,“ I have sinned. I have transgressed the LORD’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them.
Nathan replied to David,“ You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says:‘ I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from Saul.I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.Why then have you despised the LORD’s command by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hethite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife— you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword.Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hethite to be your own wife.’“ This is what the LORD says,‘ I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them in broad daylight.You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.’”
Tell him,‘ This is what the LORD says: Have you murdered and also taken possession?’ Then tell him,‘ This is what the LORD says: In the place where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, the dogs will also lick up your blood!’”
