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.

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.

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.

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 mercy and not sacrifice. I want you to recognize me as God instead of bringing me burnt offerings.

You don’t take delight in sacrifice. If you did, I would bring it. You don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings.The greatest sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. God, you will gladly accept a heart that is broken because of sadness over sin.

Do what is right and fair. The Lord accepts that more than sacrifices.

The Lord says,“ I hate your holy feasts. I can’t stand them. Your gatherings stink.You bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings. But I will not accept them. You bring your best friendship offerings. But I will not even look at them.Take the noise of your songs away! I will not listen to the music of your harps.I want you to treat others fairly. So let fair treatment roll on just as a river does! Always do what is right. Let right living flow along like a stream that never runs dry!

To love God with all your heart and mind and strength is very important. So is loving your neighbor as you love yourself. These things are more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Go and learn what this means,‘ I want mercy and not sacrifice.’( Hosea 6:6) I have not come to get those who think they are right with God to follow me. I have come to get sinners to follow me.”

The people of Israel say,“ What should we bring with us when we go to worship the Lord? What should we offer the God of heaven when we bow down to him? Should we take burnt offerings to him? Should we sacrifice calves that are a year old?Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? Will he take delight in 10,000 rivers of olive oil? Should we offer our oldest sons for the wrong things we’ve done? Should we sacrifice our own children to pay for our sins?”The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must act with justice. You must love to show mercy. And you must be humble as you live in the sight of your God.

When I brought your people out of Egypt, I spoke to them. But I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices.I also gave them another command. I said,‘ Obey me. Then I will be your God. And you will be my people. Live the way I command you to live. Then things will go well with you.’

You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings. You didn’t require burnt offerings and sin offerings. You opened my ears so that I could hear you and obey you.Then I said,“ Here I am. It is written about me in the book.My God, I have come to do what you want. Your law is in my heart.”

Be careful what you say when you go to God’s house. Go there to listen. Don’t be like foolish people when you offer your sacrifice. They do what is wrong and don’t even know it.

Scripture says,‘ I want mercy and not sacrifice.’( Hosea 6:6) You don’t know what those words mean. If you did, you would not bring charges against those who are not guilty.

“ Do you think I need any more of your sacrifices?” asks the Lord.“ I have more than enough of your burnt offerings. I have more than enough of rams and the fat of your fattest animals. I do not find any pleasure in the blood of your bulls, lambs and goats.Who asked you to bring all these animals when you come to worship me? Who asked you and your animals to walk all over my courtyards?Stop bringing offerings that do not mean anything to me! I hate your incense. I can’t stand your worthless gatherings. I can’t stand the way you celebrate your New Moon feasts, Sabbath days and special services.Your New Moon feasts and your other appointed feasts I hate with my whole being. They have become a heavy load to me. I am tired of carrying it.You might spread out your hands toward me when you pray. But I do not look at you. You might even offer many prayers. But I am not listening to them. Your hands are covered with the blood of the people you have murdered.So wash and make yourselves clean. Get your evil actions out of my sight! Stop doing what is wrong!Learn to do what is right! Treat people fairly. Help those who are treated badly. Stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. And do the same thing for widows.

It isn’t possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.So when Christ came into the world, he said,“ You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings. Instead, you prepared a body for me.You weren’t pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings.Then I said,‘ Here I am. It is written about me in the book. I have come to do what you want, my God.’ ”( Psalm 40:6–8)First Christ said,“ You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings. You didn’t want burnt offerings and sin offerings. You weren’t pleased with them.” He said this even though they were offered in keeping with the law.Then he said,“ Here I am. I have come to do what you want.” He did away with the shadow of the good things that were coming. He did it to put in place the good things themselves.We have been made holy by what God wanted. We have been made holy because Jesus Christ offered his body once and for all time.

“ How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You give God a tenth of your spices, like mint, dill and cumin. But you have not practiced the more important things of the law, which are fairness, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the last things without failing to do the first.

I don’t bring charges against you because of your sacrifices. I don’t bring charges because of the burnt offerings you always bring me.I don’t need a bull from your barn. I don’t need goats from your pens.

Leave your gift in front of the altar. First go and make peace with them. Then come back and offer your gift.

So change the way you live and act. Obey the Lord your God. Then he won’t do what he said he would. He won’t bring on you the trouble he said he would bring.

Long ago I brought your people up from Egypt. From that time until today, I warned them again and again. I said,“ Obey me.”

Now obey me completely. Keep my covenant. If you do, then out of all the nations you will be my special treasure. The whole earth is mine.

I gave those terms to your people of long ago. That was when I brought them out of Egypt. I saved them out of that furnace that melts down iron and makes it pure.’ I said,‘ Obey me. Do everything I command you to do. Then you will be my people. And I will be your God.