1Samuel 28 - Prayer Tents

Saul Consults a Medium

28About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. King Achish told David, "You and your men will be expected to join me in battle."H3117H6430H6908H4264H6908H6635H3898H3478H397H559H1732H3045H3045H3318H4264H582 2"Very well!" David agreed. "Now you will see for yourself what we can do." Then Achish told David, "I will make you my personal bodyguard for life."H1732H559H397H3651H3045H5650H6213H397H559H1732H7760H8104H7218H3117 3Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.H8050H4191H3478H5594H6912H7414H5892H7586H5493H178H3049H776 4The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa.H6430H6908H935H2583H7766H7586H6908H3478H6908H2583H1533 5When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear.H7586H7200H4264H6430H3372H3820H3966H2729 6He asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.H7586H7592H3068H3068H6030H2472H224H5030 7Saul then said to his advisers, "Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do." His advisers replied, "There is a medium at Endor."H559H7586H5650H1245H802H1172H178H3212H1875H5650H559H802H1172H178H5874 8So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman's home at night, accompanied by two of his men. "I have to talk to a man who has died," he said. "Will you call up his spirit for me?"H7586H2664H3847H312H899H3212H8147H582H935H802H3915H559H7080H178H5927H559 9"Are you trying to get me killed?" the woman demanded. "You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?"H802H559H3045H7586H6213H3772H178H3049H776H5367H5315H4191 10But Saul took an oath in the name of the LORD and promised, "As surely as the LORD lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this."H7586H7650H3068H559H3068H2416H518H5771H7136H1697 11Finally, the woman said, "Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?" "Call up Samuel," Saul replied.H559H802H5927H559H5927H8050 12When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, "You've deceived me! You are Saul!"H802H7200H8050H2199H1419H6963H802H559H7586H559H7411H7586 13"Don't be afraid!" the king told her. "What do you see?" "I see a god coming up out of the earth," she said.H4428H559H3372H7200H802H559H7586H7200H430H5927H776 14"What does he look like?" Saul asked. "He is an old man wrapped in a robe," she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.H559H8389H559H2205H376H5927H5844H4598H7586H3045H8050H6915H639H776H7812 15"Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?" Samuel asked Saul. "Because I am in deep trouble," Saul replied. "The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won't reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do."H8050H559H7586H7264H5927H7586H559H3966H6887H6430H3898H430H5493H6030H3027H5030H2472H7121H3045H6213 16But Samuel replied, "Why ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?H559H8050H7592H3068H5493H6145 17The LORD has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.H3068H6213H1696H3027H3068H7167H4467H3027H5414H7453H1732 18The LORD has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites.H834H8085H6963H3068H6213H2740H639H6002H3068H6213H1697H3117 19What's more, the LORD will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The LORD will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat."H3068H5414H3478H3027H6430H4279H1121H3068H5414H4264H3478H3027H6430 20Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel's words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.H7586H5307H4116H4393H6967H776H3966H3372H1697H8050H3581H398H3899H3117H3915 21When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, "Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life.H802H935H7586H7200H3966H926H559H8198H8085H6963H7760H5315H3709H8085H1697H1696 22Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back."H8085H6963H8198H7760H6595H3899H6440H398H3581H3212H1870 23But Saul refused to eat anything. Then his advisers joined the woman in urging him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch.H3985H559H398H5650H802H6555H8085H6963H6965H776H3427H4296 24The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it into dough and baked unleavened bread.H802H4770H5695H1004H4116H2076H3947H7058H3888H644H4682 25She brought the meal to Saul and his advisers, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night.H5066H6440H7586H6440H5650H398H6965H3212H3915