1 Samuel 28
28
1While David was living in Ziklag, the Philistines gathered their army together. They planned to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “Here is what you must understand. You and your men must march out with me and my army.”
2David said, “I understand. You will see for yourself what I can do.”
Achish replied, “All right. I’ll make you my own personal guard for life.”
Saul and the Woman at Endor
3Samuel had died. The whole nation of Israel was filled with sorrow because he was dead. They had buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had thrown out of the land people who get messages from those who have died. He had also thrown out people who talk to the spirits of the dead.
4The Philistines gathered together and set up camp at Shunem. At the same time, Saul gathered together all the Israelites. They set up camp at Gilboa. 5When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid. Terror filled his heart. 6He asked the Lord for advice. But the Lord didn’t answer him through dreams or prophets. He didn’t answer him when Saul had the priest cast lots by using the Urim. 7Saul spoke to his attendants. He said, “Find me a woman who gets messages from those who have died. Then I can go and ask her some questions.”
“There’s a woman like that in Endor,” they said.
8Saul put on different clothes so people wouldn’t know who he was. At night he and two of his men went to see the woman. “I want you to talk to a spirit for me,” he said. “Bring up the spirit of the dead person I choose.”
9But the woman said to him, “By now you must know what Saul has done. He has removed everyone who gets messages from those who have died. He has also removed everyone who talks to the spirits of the dead. He has thrown all of them out of the land. Why are you trying to trap me? Why do you want to have me put to death?”
10Saul made a promise in the name of the Lord. He said to the woman, “You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that you won’t be punished for helping me.”
11Then the woman asked, “Whose spirit should I bring up for you?”
“Bring Samuel up,” he said.
12When the woman saw Samuel, she let out a loud scream. She said to Saul, “Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul!”
13He said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Tell me what you see.”
The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure. He’s coming up out of the earth.”
14“What does he look like?” Saul asked.
“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel. He bowed down. He lay down flat with his face toward the ground.
15Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you troubled me by bringing me up from the dead?”
“I’m having big problems,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me. God has left me. He doesn’t answer me anymore. He doesn’t speak to me through prophets or dreams. So I’ve called on you to tell me what to do.”
16Samuel said, “The Lord has left you. He has become your enemy. So why are you asking me what you should do? 17The Lord has spoken through me and has done what he said he would do. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands. He has given it to one of your neighbors. He has given it to David. 18You didn’t obey the Lord. You didn’t show his great anger against the Amalekites by destroying them. So he’s punishing you today. 19He will hand both Israel and you over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be down here with me. The Lord will also hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines.”
20Immediately Saul fell flat on the ground. What Samuel had said filled Saul with fear. His strength was gone. He hadn’t eaten anything all that day and all that night.
21The woman went over to Saul because she saw that he was very upset. She said, “Look, I’ve obeyed you. I put my own life in danger by doing what you told me to do. 22So please listen to me. Let me give you some food. Eat it. Then you will have the strength to go on your way.”
23But he refused. He said, “I don’t want anything to eat.”
Then his men joined the woman in begging him to eat. Finally, he paid attention to them. He got up from the ground and sat on a couch.
24The woman had a fat calf at her house. She killed it at once. She got some flour. She mixed it and baked some bread that didn’t have any yeast in it. 25Then she set the food in front of Saul and his men. They ate it. That same night they got up and left.
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1 Samuel 28: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
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I Samuel 28
28
1Now #Judg. 1:16it happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.”
2So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.”
And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.”
Saul Consults a Medium
3Now #1 Sam. 29:1, 2Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in #1 Sam. 25:1Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put #1 Sam. 1:19the mediums and the spiritists out of the land.
4Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at #Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:31; 20:27; Deut. 18:10, 11; 1 Sam. 15:23; 28:9Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at #Josh. 19:18; 1 Sam. 28:4; 1 Kin. 1:3; 2 Kin. 4:8Gilboa. 5When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was #1 Sam. 31:1afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6And when Saul inquired of the Lord, #Job 18:11; (Is. 57:20)the Lord did not answer him, either by #1 Sam. 14:37; Prov. 1:28; Lam. 2:9dreams or #Num. 12:6; Joel 2:28by Urim or by the prophets.
7Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, #Ex. 28:30; Num. 27:21; Deut. 33:8that I may go to her and inquire of her.”
And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.”
8So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And #1 Chr. 10:13he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”
9Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has #Deut. 18:10, 11; 1 Chr. 10:13; Is. 8:19cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”
10And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”
11Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”
And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”
12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”
13And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?”
And the woman said to Saul, “I saw #1 Sam. 28:3a spirit ascending out of the earth.”
14So he said to her, “What is his form?”
And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with #Ex. 22:28; Ps. 138:1a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.
15Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you #1 Sam. 15:27; 2 Kin. 2:8, 13disturbed me by bringing me up?”
And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and #Is. 14:9God has departed from me and #1 Sam. 16:14; 18:12does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”
16Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? 17And the Lord has done for Himself #1 Sam. 28:6as He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18#1 Sam. 15:28Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon #1 Sam. 13:9–13; 15:1–26; 1 Kin. 20:42; 1 Chr. 10:13; Jer. 48:10Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with #1 Sam. 15:3–9me. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
20Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.
21And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have #1 Sam. 31:1–6; Job 3:17–19put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me. 22Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.”
23But he refused and said, “I will not eat.”
So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. 24Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. 25So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.