Chapter 28
1 In those days the Philistines gathered together their armies to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “Know that you and your men are to go out to battle with me.” 2 David said to Achish, “Then you will know for sure what your servant can do.” Achish said to David, “You will, therefore, be my bodyguard from now on.”
3 Samuel was dead, and all of Israel had mourned for him and had buried him in Ramah, his own city. Saul had expelled mediums and wizards from out of the land. 4 The Philistines assembled together and went and camped at Shunem. Saul gathered together all of Israel and they camped at Gilboa. 5 [a]When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid, and his heart trembled. 6 Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him in dreams, or by the Urim, or through the prophets.
Saul and the Medium. 7 Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium so that I can go to her and inquire of her.” His servants answered, “There is a woman who is a medium in Endor.” 8 Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes. He went with two men, and they came to the woman by night. He said, “Please consult a spirit for me, bring up the one whose name I give you.” 9 But the woman said to him, “You surely know what Saul has done, how he has expelled mediums and wizards out of the land. Why would you set a trap for my life, bringing on my death?” 10 Saul swore an oath to her by the Lord saying, “As the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.” 11 The woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you,” and he answered, “Bring up Samuel for me.”
12 Samuel Appears. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out in a loud voice, and the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me, Saul?” 13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid! What did you see?” She said to Saul, “I saw a spirit coming up from the earth.” 14 He said to her, “What does he look like?” She said, “An old man wearing a robe came up.” Saul realized that it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated his face to the ground.
15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you bothered me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress. The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned against me. He does not answer me anymore, either by prophets or by dreams. I have called upon you so that you can make known to me what I should do.” 16 Samuel said, “Why do you question me now that the Lord has turned against you and has become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done for himself exactly what he predicted through me. The Lord has ripped the kingdom out of your hand, and he has given it to your neighbor, to David. 18 You did not heed the voice of the Lord nor enact his fierce rage against Amalek. Therefore, the Lord has done this thing to you today. 19 The Lord will hand over both you and Israel into the hands of the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
20 The Medium Feeds Saul. Saul fell full length upon the ground for he was terrified because of what Samuel had said. His strength was gone, for he had not eaten anything all day and night. 21 When the woman came up to Saul and saw that he was greatly troubled, she said to him, “Look, your handmaid has obeyed your command. I have taken my life in my hands when I did what you had ordered me to do. 22 Therefore, please heed the voice of your handmaid. Let me give you something to eat, and then you will have the strength to go on your way.” 23 [b]He refused and said, “I will not eat!”
But both his servants and the woman kept urging him, and he finally listened to them. He got up off the ground and sat on the couch. 24 The woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she quickly killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it, and baked it into loaves of unleavened bread. 25 She set it before Saul and his servants. They ate, and then they got up and went on their way that night.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 28:5 Saul is so unnerved by the approach of the Philistine army and so removed from the guidance of the Lord, that he resorts to the occult for direction, going against his own prohibition.
- 1 Samuel 28:23 Saul could no longer hide from the terrible indictment against him. God’s rejection has plummeted him into an abyss of despair, and he must be forced to eat.