Saul and the witch of Endor
28
📚✭And it came about in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know for certain that you will go out with me to the battle, you and your men”.2 📚And David said to Achish, “You will really find out what your servant can do”. And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you my bodyguard forever”.
3 📚✭Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put away mediums and spiritists from the land.
4 📚✭And the Philistines gathered together and came and camped in Shunem, and Saul gathered all Israel together and they camped in Gilboa. 5 📚✭And when Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart greatly trembled. 6 📚And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer✭ him, not by dreams✭ or by Urim✭ or by prophets✭. 7 📚✭Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and consult her”. And his servants said to him, “Look, there is a woman at Endor who is a medium”.
8 📚And Saul disguised himself and put on different clothes, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman at night, and he said, “Please use divination for me by a spirit, and bring up for me the one whom I name to you”.
9 📚And the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off mediums and spiritists from the land. So why are you laying a snare for my life, to cause my death?”
10 📚And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment will come to you for this thing”.
11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me”.
12 📚✭And when 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”.
13 📚And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. For what did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw gods✭ ascending out of the earth”.
14 📚And he said to her, “What is his appearance like?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a cloak”. And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bent over with his face toward the ground and bowed down.
15 📚✭And Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up?” And Saul answered, “I am very distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me any more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have called you, so that you may tell me what I should do”.
16 📚Then Samuel said, “Then why do you consult me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy✭? 17 📚And the LORD has done for him just as he spoke through me. For the LORD has torn the kingdom from your hand and given it to your neighbour, to David, 18 📚because you did not obey the voice of the LORD, or execute his fierce wrath on Amalek. Therefore the LORD has done this thing to you today. 19 📚Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel, along with you, into the hands of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me✭. The LORD will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines”.
20 📚Then immediately Saul fell prostrate on the ground, and was very afraid, because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had not eaten any bread all day and all night.
21 📚And the woman came to Saul, and saw that he was very troubled and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. 22 So now please listen also to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you, and eat, so that you can have strength when you go on your way”.
23 📚But he refused and said, “I will not eat”. But his servants, together with the woman, pressed him, and he listened to their voice. So he arose from the ground and sat on the bed.