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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1 Samuel 28
28
Saul Asks To Talk with Samuel's Ghost
1-3 #
1 S 25.1;
Lv 20.27; Dt 18.10,11. Samuel had died some time earlier,#28.1-3 earlier: See 25.1. and people from all over Israel had attended his funeral in his hometown of Ramah.
Meanwhile, Saul had been trying to get rid of everyone who spoke with the spirits of the dead.#28.1-3 dead: Many people believed that it was possible to talk to spirits of the dead, and that these spirits could tell the future. But one day the Philistines brought their soldiers together to attack Israel.
Achish told David, “Of course, you know that you and your men must fight as part of our Philistine army.”
David answered, “That will give you a chance to see for yourself just how well we can fight!”
“In that case,” Achish said, “you and your men will always be my bodyguards.”
4The Philistines went to Shunem and set up camp. Saul called the army of Israel together, and they set up their camp in Gilboa. 5Saul took one look at the Philistine army and started shaking with fear. 6#Nu 27.21. So he asked the Lord what to do. But the Lord would not answer, either in a dream or by a priest or a prophet. 7Then Saul told his officers, “Find me a woman who can talk to the spirits of the dead. I'll go to her and find out what's going to happen.”
His servants told him, “There's a woman at Endor who can talk to spirits of the dead.”
8That night, Saul put on different clothing so nobody would recognize him. Then he and two of his men went to the woman, and asked, “Will you bring up the ghost of someone for us?”
9The woman said, “Why are you trying to trick me and get me killed? You know King Saul has killed everyone who talks to the spirits of the dead!”
10Saul replied, “I swear by the living Lord that nothing will happen to you because of this.”
11 #
Si 46.20. “Who do you want me to bring up?” she asked.
“Bring up the ghost of Samuel,” he answered.
12When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. Then she turned to Saul and said, “You've tricked me! You're the king!”
13“Don't be afraid,” Saul replied. “Just tell me what you see.”
She answered, “I see a spirit rising up out of the ground.”
14“What does it look like?”
“It looks like an old man wearing a robe.”
Saul knew it was Samuel, so he bowed down low.
15“Why are you bothering me by bringing me up like this?” Samuel asked.
“I'm terribly worried,” Saul answered. “The Philistines are about to attack me. God has turned his back on me and won't answer any more by prophets or by dreams. What should I do?”
16Samuel said:
If the Lord has turned away from you and is now your enemy, don't ask me what to do. 17#1 S 15.28. I've already told you: The Lord has sworn to take the kingdom from you and give it to David. And that's just what he's doing! 18#1 S 15.3-9. When the Lord was angry with the Amalekites, he told you to destroy them, but you didn't do it. That's why the Lord is doing this to you. 19Tomorrow the Lord will let the Philistines defeat Israel's army, then you and your sons will join me down here in the world of the dead.
20At once, Saul collapsed and lay stretched out on the floor, terrified at what Samuel had said. He was weak because he had not eaten anything since the day before.
21The woman came over to Saul, and when she saw that he was completely terrified, she said, “Your Majesty, I listened to you and risked my life to do what you asked. 22Now please listen to me. Let me get you a little something to eat. It will give you strength for your walk back to camp.”
23“No, I won't eat!”
But his officers and the woman kept on urging Saul, until he finally agreed. He got up off the floor and sat on the bed. 24At once the woman killed a calf that she had been fattening up. She cooked part of the meat and baked some thin bread.#28.24 thin bread: Bread made without yeast, since there was no time for the bread to rise. 25Then she served the food to Saul and his officers, who ate and left before daylight.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
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