1Samuel 28

Saul and the Spirit Medium

28IN THOSE days the Philistines gathered their forces for war against Israel. Achish said to David, Understand that you and your men shall go with me to battle.H3117H6430H6908H4264H6908H6635H3898H3478H397H559H1732H3045H3045H3318H4264H5822David said to Achish, All right, you shall know what your servant can do. Achish said to David, Therefore I will make you my bodyguard always.H1732H559H397H3651H3045H5650H6213H397H559H1732H7760H8104H7218H31173Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the wizards out of the land.H8050H4191H3478H5594H6912H7414H5892H7586H5493H178H3049H7764And the Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel and they encamped at Gilboa.H6430H6908H935H2583H7766H7586H6908H3478H6908H2583H15335When Saul saw the Philistine host, he was afraid; his heart trembled greatly.H7586H7200H4264H6430H3372H3820H3966H27296When Saul inquired of the Lord, He refused to answer him, either by dreams or by Urim [a symbol worn by the priest when seeking the will of God for Israel] or by the prophets.H7586H7592H3068H3068H6030H2472H224H50307Then Saul said to his servants, Find me a woman who is a medium [between the living and the dead], that I may go and inquire of her. His servants said, Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at Endor.H559H7586H5650H1245H802H1172H178H3212H1875H5650H559H802H1172H178H58748So Saul disguised himself, put on other raiment, and he and two men with him went and came to the woman at night. He said to her, Perceive for me by the familiar spirit and bring up for me the dead person whom I shall name to you.H7586H2664H3847H312H899H3212H8147H582H935H802H3915H559H7080H178H5927H5599The woman said, See here, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and wizards out of the land. Why then do you lay a trap for my life to cause my death?H802H559H3045H7586H6213H3772H178H3049H776H5367H5315H419110And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord lives, there shall no punishment come to you for this.H7586H7650H3068H559H3068H2416H518H5771H7136H169711The woman said, Whom shall I bring up for you? He said, Bring up Samuel for me.H559H802H5927H559H5927H805012And when the woman saw Samuel, she screamed and she said to Saul, Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!H802H7200H8050H2199H1419H6963H802H559H7586H559H7411H758613The king said to her, Be not afraid; what do you see? The woman said to Saul, I see a god [terrifying superhuman being] coming up out of the earth!H4428H559H3372H7200H802H559H7586H7200H430H5927H77614He said to her, In what form is he? And she said, An old man comes up, covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and made obeisance.H559H8389H559H2205H376H5927H5844H4598H7586H3045H8050H6915H639H776H781215And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me to bring me up? Saul answered, I am bitterly distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.H8050H559H7586H7264H5927H7586H559H3966H6887H6430H3898H430H5493H6030H3027H5030H2472H7121H3045H621316Samuel said, Why then do you ask me, seeing that the Lord has turned from you and has become your enemy?H559H8050H7592H3068H5493H614517The Lord has done to you as He said through me He would do; for [He] has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to your neighbor David.H3068H6213H1696H3027H3068H7167H4467H3027H5414H7453H173218Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord or execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day.H834H8085H6963H3068H6213H2740H639H6002H3068H6213H1697H311719Moreover, the Lord will also give Israel with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me [among the dead]. The Lord also will give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.H3068H5414H3478H3027H6430H4279H1121H3068H5414H4264H3478H3027H643020Then immediately Saul fell full length upon the earth floor [of the medium's house], and was exceedingly afraid because of Samuel's words. There was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.H7586H5307H4116H4393H6967H776H3966H3372H1697H8050H3581H398H3899H3117H391521The woman came to Saul, and seeing that he was greatly troubled, she said to him, Behold, your handmaid has obeyed you, and I have put my life in my hands and have listened to what you said to me.H802H935H7586H7200H3966H926H559H8198H8085H6963H7760H5315H3709H8085H1697H169622So now, I pray you, listen also to the voice of your handmaid and let me set a morsel of food before you, and eat, so you may have strength when you go on your way.H8085H6963H8198H7760H6595H3899H6440H398H3581H3212H187023But he said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he heeded their words. So he arose from the ground and sat upon the bed.H3985H559H398H5650H802H6555H8085H6963H6965H776H3427H429624The woman had a fat calf in the house; she hurried and killed it, and took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread.H802H4770H5695H1004H4116H2076H3947H7058H3888H644H468225Then she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose up and went away that night.H5066H6440H7586H6440H5650H398H6965H3212H3915