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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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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1 Samuel 28
28
1Around that time the Philistines called up their armies to go to war against Israel. So Achish told David, “You do realize that you and your men must accompany me as part of the army.”
2“That's fine!” David replied. “Then you yourself will discover what I, your servant, can do.”
“That's fine too,” Achish responded. “I'll make you my bodyguard for life.”
3By now Samuel had died, and all of Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his home town. Saul had got rid of mediums and spiritists from the country.
4The Philistine armies gathered and set up camp at Shunem. Saul called up all the Israelite army and set up camp at Gilboa. 5When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was terrified, shaking with fear. 6He asked advice from the Lord, but the Lord didn't answer him either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. 7So Saul told his officers, “Find me a woman who is a medium so I can go and ask her advice.”
“There's a woman who is a medium at Endor,” his officers replied.
8Saul disguised himself by wearing different clothes. He went with two of his men to the woman at night. Saul told her, “Bring up a spirit for me so I can ask some questions. I'll give you the name.”
9“Don't you know what Saul has done,” she replied. “He's got rid of the mediums and spiritists from the country. Are you trying to set a trap for me and get me killed?”
10Saul swore an oath to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, you won't be held guilty for doing this.”
11“Who do you want me to bring up for you?” the woman asked.
“Bring up Samuel,” he replied.
12But when the woman saw Samuel, she shouted loudly, and said to Saul, “Why have you tricked me? You're Saul!”
13“Don't be scared,” the king told her. “What can you see?”
“I see a god coming up out of the ground,” the woman replied.
14“What does he look like?” Saul asked.
“An old man is coming up,” she replied. “He has a robe wrapped around him.” Saul thought it must be Samuel, and he bowed facedown in respect.
15Samuel said to Saul, “Why are you bothering me by bringing me up?”
“I'm in terrible trouble,” Saul replied. “The Philistines are attacking me, and God has abandoned me. He doesn't answer me anymore, either by prophets or by dreams. That's why I have called you up so you tell me what to do.”
16“Why come and ask me when the Lord has abandoned you and has become your enemy?” Samuel asked. 17“The Lord has done to you exactly what he said through me, for the Lord has ripped the kingdom from you and has given it to your neighbor, David. 18The Lord has done this to you today because you did not do what the Lord commanded and you did not execute his furious anger on the Amalekites. 19The Lord will hand over Israel and you yourself to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will die and be with me. The Lord will also hand over the Israelite army to the Philistines.”
20Saul collapsed facedown on the ground, terrified at what Samuel had said. He had no strength, because he hadn't eaten anything all that day and night. 21The woman came over to Saul and saw that he was absolutely terrified. She told him, “Look, sir, I did what you asked. I risked my life and did what you told me. 22Now please do what I tell you. Let me bring you a little bit of food. Eat it, and you'll have the strength to go on your way.”
23But he refused, saying, “I can't eat anything.” But his men and the woman encouraged him to eat, and he did what they said. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
24The woman had a fattened calf at the house, and she quickly went and slaughtered it. She also got some flour, kneaded it, and baked some unleavened bread. 25She served the meal to Saul and his men, and they ate it. Then they got up and left, the same night.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com