28 1 David hath the chief charge promised about Achish. 8 Saul consulteth with a witch, and she causeth him to speak with Samuel, 18 Who declareth his ruin.
1 Now at that time the Philistines assembled their bands and army to fight with Israel: therefore Achish said to David, [a]Be sure, thou shalt go out with me to the battle, thou, and thy men.
2 And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Surely I will make thee keeper of mine head forever.
3 ((A)Samuel was then dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah his own city: and Saul had [b]put away the sorcerers, and the Soothsayers out of the land.)
4 Then the Philistines assembled themselves, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul assembled all Israel, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart was sore astonied.
6 Therefore Saul asked counsel of the Lord, and the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by [c]Urim, nor yet by Prophets.
7 ¶ Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and ask of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman at En Dor that hath a familiar spirit.
8 Then Saul [d]changed himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, conjecture unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the sorcerers, and the soothsayers out of the land: wherefore then seekest thou to take me in a snare to cause me to die?
10 And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, no [e]harm shall come to thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he answered, Bring me up [f]Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw [g]gods ascending up out of the earth.
14 Then he said unto her, What fashion is he of? And she answered, An old man cometh up lapped in a mantel: and Saul knew that it was [h]Samuel, and he inclined his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
15 ¶ And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? Then Saul answered, I am in great distress: for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither [i]by Prophets, neither by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest tell me, what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing, the Lord is gone from thee, and is thine enemy?
17 Even the Lord hath done to [j]him, as he spake (B)by mine [k]hand: for the Lord will rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and give it thy neighbor David.
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lord done this unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the Lord will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines: [l]and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me, and the Lord shall give the host of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore [m]afraid because of the words of Samuel, so that there was no strength in him: for he had eaten no bread all the day nor all the night.
21 Then the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, See, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I [n]have put my soul in mine hand, and have obeyed thy words which thou saidest unto me.
22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee, that thou mayest eat and get thee strength, and go on thy journey.
23 But he refused and said, I will not eat: but his servants and the woman together compelled him, and he obeyed their voice: so he arose from the earth, and sat on the bed.
24 Now the woman had a fat calf in the house, and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and baked of it [o]unleavened bread.
25 Then she brought them before Saul, and before his servants: and when they had eaten, they stood up, and went away the same night.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 28:1 Albeit it was a great grief to David to fight against the people of God, yet such was his infirmity, he durst not deny him.
- 1 Samuel 28:3 According to the commandment of God, Exod. 22:18 and Deut. 18:10, 11.
- 1 Samuel 28:6 Meaning, the high Priest, Exod. 28:30.
- 1 Samuel 28:8 He seeketh not to God in his misery, but is let by Satan to unlawful means, which in his conscience he condemneth.
- 1 Samuel 28:10 Or, punishment.
- 1 Samuel 28:11 He speaketh according to his gross ignorance, not considering the state of the Saints after this life, and how Satan hath no power over them.
- 1 Samuel 28:13 Or, an excellent person.
- 1 Samuel 28:14 To his imagination, albeit it was Satan, who to blind his eyes took upon him the form of Samuel, as he can do of an Angel of light.
- 1 Samuel 28:15 Hebrew, by the hand of Prophets.
- 1 Samuel 28:17 That is, to David.
- 1 Samuel 28:17 Or, ministry.
- 1 Samuel 28:19 Ye shall be dead, 1 Sam. 31:6.
- 1 Samuel 28:20 The wicked when they hear God’s judgments, tremble and despair, but cannot seek for mercy by repentance.
- 1 Samuel 28:21 I have ventured my life.
- 1 Samuel 28:24 Because it required haste.