² For he flatters himself in his own eyes, Too much to detect and hate his sin.

¹⁸ Though while he lived he blessed his soul-- And men praise you when you do well for yourself--

¹⁹ and it happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart, to destroy the moist with the dry.

³ For the wicked boasts of his heart's cravings, He blesses the greedy, and condemns Yahweh.

³ For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn't subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

⁹ I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

⁹ What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.

¹⁵ He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

²⁹ But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"

⁷ A merchant has dishonest scales in his hand. He loves to defraud.

⁸ Ephraim said, "Surely I have become rich, I have found myself wealth. In all my wealth they won't find in me any iniquity that is sin."

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?

³⁴ Also in your skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor: you did not find them breaking in; but it is because of all these things.

³⁵ Yet you said, I am innocent; surely his anger is turned away from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with you, because you say, I have not sinned.

²³ How can you say, I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baals? see your way in the valley, know what you have done: [you are] a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

¹³ So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of the word of Yahweh, which he didn't keep; and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire [thereby],

¹⁴ and didn't inquire of Yahweh: therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.

¹⁸ and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, 'Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.'

¹⁹ Why then didn't you obey the voice of Yahweh, but flew on the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh?"

²⁰ Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of Yahweh, and have gone the way which Yahweh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹ But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.

²² Samuel said, Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has also rejected you from being king.

²⁴ Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.