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 towards 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 neighbours. 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.
1 Samuel 28
English Standard Version
Saul and the Medium of En-dor
1In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” (1Sa 29:1)2David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”3Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. (Ex 22:18; Le 19:31; Le 20:27; De 18:10; 1Sa 1:19; 1Sa 25:1)4The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. (Jos 19:18; 1Sa 31:1)5When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.6And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. (Ex 28:30; Nu 12:6; Nu 27:21; De 33:8; 1Sa 14:37; 1Sa 28:15)7Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.” (Jos 17:11; 1Ch 10:13; Ps 83:10)8So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” (De 18:10; 1Ki 20:38; 1Ki 22:30; 2Ch 18:29; 2Ch 35:22)9The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” (1Sa 28:3)10But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” (Ru 3:13)11Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.”13The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.”14He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage. (1Sa 15:27)15Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.” (1Sa 16:14; 1Sa 18:12; 1Sa 28:6)16And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy?17The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. (1Sa 15:28)18Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. (1Sa 15:9)19Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.” (1Sa 31:2)20Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.21And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. (Jud 12:3)22Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.”23He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed.24Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it,25and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.