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1 Samuel 15:21-23
New Catholic Bible
1 Samuel 15:21-23
New Catholic Bible
21 The people took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the dedicated things, to sacrifice them to the Lord, your God, in Gilgal.”
22 [a]But Samuel replied, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in heeding the voice of the Lord? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, being attentive is better than the fat of rams. 23 Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 15:22 A very important passage: the first of the prophets already proclaims the religion of the spirit that will subsequently be the subject of the writing prophets. Religious acts must be done out of obedience and love to be meaningful.
1 Samuel 15:21-23
New International Version
1 Samuel 15:21-23
New International Version
21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
22 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,(A)
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,(B)
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected(C) the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.