1 Samuel 28

¹And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered their camps for the army, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David: 'You shall surely know that with me you shall go out in the camp, you and your men.'

²And David said to Achish, 'Very well, you shall know what your servant will do.' And Achish said to David, 'Very well, I will appoint you as my bodyguard for all time.'

³Now Samuel had died, and all Israel mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and the spiritists from the land.

⁴And the Philistines gathered and came and encamped at Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel and they encamped at Gilboa.

⁵And when Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.

⁶And Saul inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him, neither by dreams, nor by the Urim, nor by prophets.

⁷Then Saul said to his servants: 'Seek for me a woman who is a mistress of a medium, that I may go to her and inquire through her.' And his servants said to him: 'Behold, there is a woman who is a mistress of a medium at En-dor.'

⁸And Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, 'Divine for me by the spirit-medium, and bring up for me the one whom I shall name to you.'

⁹And the woman said to him: 'Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life, to kill me?'

¹⁰And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying: 'As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.'

¹¹And the woman said, 'Whom shall I bring up for you?' And he said, 'Bring up Samuel for me.'

¹²And the woman saw Samuel, and she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, saying: 'Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul.'

¹³And the king said to her, 'Do not be afraid; but what do you see?' And the woman said to Saul, 'I see a divine being coming up from the earth.'

¹⁴And he said to her: 'What is his appearance?' And she said: 'An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.' And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did obeisance.

¹⁵And Samuel said to Saul, 'Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?' And Saul said, 'I am in great distress, for the Philistines are making war against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, neither by the hand of prophets nor by dreams; so I have called to you to make known to me what I should do.'

¹⁶And Samuel said: 'Why then do you ask me, seeing that the Lord has turned from you and has become your adversary?'

¹⁷And the Lord has done to him as he spoke through me, and the Lord has torn the kingdom from your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David.

¹⁸Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord, and did not carry out his fierce anger against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you today.

¹⁹And the Lord will give Israel also, along with you, into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and the army of Israel the Lord will give into the hand of the Philistines.

²⁰And Saul hurried and fell at full length on the ground, and was greatly afraid because of the words of Samuel. And also there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all the day and all the night.

²¹And the woman came to Saul, and she saw that he was very terrified; and she said to him, 'Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I put my life in my hand and listened to the words that you spoke to me.'

²²Now please, you too listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set before you a morsel of bread, and eat, that there may be strength in you, for you shall walk on the way.

²³But he refused, and said: 'I will not eat.' And his servants together with the woman urged him insistently, and he listened to their voice, and arose from the ground and sat upon the bed.

²⁴Now the woman had a stall-fed calf in the house, and she quickly slaughtered it; and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread from it.

²⁵And she set it before Saul and before his servants, and they ate. And they arose and went away that night.