1 Samuel 28
1 Some time later, the people of Philistia gathered their army to attack the Israelis [again]. King Achish told David, “I am expecting that you and your men will join with my men to attack [the Israelis].”
Nowe at that time the Philistims assembled their bandes and armie to fight with Israel: therfore Achish said to Dauid, Be sure, thou shalt go out with me to the battel, thou, and thy men.
2 David replied, “[We will go with you, and then] you will see for yourself what we can do!” Achish said, “Okay, I will appoint you to be my bodyguard permanently.”
And Dauid said to Achish, Surely thou shalt knowe, what thy seruant can doe. And Achish sayde to Dauid, Surely I will make thee keeper of mine head for euer.
3 [While Samuel was still alive, Saul did many things that pleased Yahweh. One of the good things that] Saul [did was to] expel from Israel all the people who were fortune-tellers or who talked to the spirits of dead people. But Samuel had died, and all the Israeli people had mourned for him. Then they had buried him in Ramah, his hometown. [After that, Saul did not try to please Yahweh any more].
(Samuel was then dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah his owne citie: and Saul had put away the sorcerers, and the soothsayers out of the land)
4 The army of Philistia gathered and set up their tents at Shunem [city, in the north of Israel]. Saul gathered the Israeli army and set up their tents at Gilboa [in the eastern part of the same valley].
Then the Philistims assembled themselues, and came, and pitched in Shunem: and Saul assembled all Israel, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 When Saul saw the army of Philistia, he became so afraid that his heart pounded/shook.
And when Saul saw the hoste of the Philistims, he was afraid, and his heart was sore astonied.
6 He prayed to Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him. Yahweh did not [tell Saul what he should do by] giving him a dream, or by [having the priest throw] the marked stones [that were in his sacred vest], or by [giving a message about Saul to] any prophet.
Therefore Saul asked counsel of the Lord, and the Lord answered him not, neither by dreames, nor by Vrim, nor yet by Prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find for me a woman who talks to the spirits of dead people, in order that I can ask her [what will happen].” His servants replied, “There is a woman in Endor [town] who does that.”
Then saide Saul vnto his seruants, Seeke me a woman that hath a familiar spirite, that I may goe to her, and aske of her. And his seruants said to him, Beholde, there is a woman at En-dor that hath a familiar spirit.
8 So Saul [took off the clothes that showed that he was the king, and he] put on ordinary clothes (to disguise himself/so that people would not recognize who he was). Then he and two of his men went during the night to talk to that woman. Saul said to her, “I want you to talk to a spirit [of someone who has died]. Cause to appear the person whose name I will [give to you].”
Then Saul changed him selfe, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he saide, I pray thee, coniecture vnto me by the familiar spirite, and bring me him vp whome I shall name vnto thee.
9 But the woman replied, “You surely know what Saul has done. He expelled from this land all the people who talk to spirits of dead people and all fortune-tellers. I think that you are trying to trap me, in order that I will be executed [for doing something that is not permitted].”
And the woman saide vnto him, Beholde, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the sorcerers, and the southsayers out of the land: wherefore then seekest thou to take me in a snare to cause me to die?
10 Saul replied, solemnly asking Yahweh to listen to what he was saying, “Just as surely as Yahweh lives, you will not be punished for doing this.”
And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liueth, no harme shall come to thee for this thing.
11 Then the woman said, “Whom do you want me to cause to appear?” Saul replied, “Cause Samuel to appear.”
Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring vp vnto thee? And he answered, Bring me vp Samuel.
12 [So] the woman [did that. But] when she saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, “You have tricked me [RHQ]! You are Saul! [You will execute me for doing this]!”
And when the woman sawe Samuel, she cryed with a loude voyce, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceiued me? for thou art Saul.
13 Saul said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a god/spirit coming up out of the ground.”
And the King said vnto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said vnto Saul, I saw gods ascending vp out of the earth.
14 Saul said, “What does he look like?” The woman replied, “An old man wearing a robe is appearing.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel. So he bowed down with his face touching the ground.
Then he said vnto her, What facion is hee of? And she answered, An olde man commeth vp lapped in a mantel: and Saul knewe that it was Samuel, and he enclined his face to the grounde, and bowed him selfe.
15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you bothered/disturbed me by causing me to appear?” Saul said, “I am very worried. The army of Philistia is about to attack my army, and God has abandoned me. He does not answer my questions any more. He does not give me dreams [to tell me what to do] or give messages to prophets [to tell me what to do]. That is the reason that I came to see you. So you tell me what I should do!”
And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me vp? Then Saul answered, I am in great distresse: for the Philistims make warre against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by Prophetes, neither by dreames: therefore I haue called thee, that thou mayest tell me, what I shall doe.
16 Samuel said, “Yahweh has abandoned you and has become your enemy. So why do you ask me [what you should do]? [RHQ]
Then said Samuel, Wherefore then doest thou aske of me, seeing the Lord is gone from thee, and is thine enemie?
17 He has done what he told me [previously] that he would do to you. He has torn the kingdom away from you, and he is giving it to someone who is another Israeli—David.
Euen the Lord hath done to him, as hee spake by mine hande: for the Lord will rent the kingdome out of thine hande, and giue it thy neighbour Dauid.
18 You did not obey Yahweh. Yahweh was very angry with the Amalek people-group. You did not [kill all of their animals], with the result that you did not show that he was very angry with them. That is the reason that he has done this to you today.
Because thou obeyedst not the voyce of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath vpon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lord done this vnto thee this day.
19 Yahweh will enable the Philistia army to defeat you and all the other Israeli soldiers. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [in the place where spirits of dead people are]. Yahweh will cause the whole Israeli army to be defeated by the Philistia army.” [And after Samuel said that, he disappeared].
Moreouer the Lord wil deliuer Israel with thee into the handes of the Philistims: and to morowe shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me, and the Lord shall giue the hoste of Israel into the handes of the Philistims.
20 Saul immediately fell flat on the ground. He was so afraid because of what Samuel had said that he became paralyzed. He was also very weak because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.
Then Saul fell streight way all along on the earth, and was sore afraide because of the wordes of Samuel, so that there was no strength in him: for he had eaten no bread all the day nor all the night.
21 The woman saw that he was extremely worried/terrified. She said to him, “Listen to me! I have done what you requested me to do. I could be executed for doing that.
Then the woman came vnto Saul, and sawe that he was sore troubled, and said vnto him, See, thine handmaide hath obeyed thy voyce, and I haue put my soule in mine hande, and haue obeyed thy wordes which thou saydest vnto me.
22 So now please pay attention to what I say. Allow me to give you some food, in order that you will [eat it and] get enough strength to go back [to your army].”
Now therefore, I pray thee, hearke thou also vnto ye voyce of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsell of bread before thee, that thou mayest eat and get thee strength, and go on thy iourney.
23 But Saul refused. He said, “No, I will not eat anything.” Then Saul’s servants also urged him [to eat something], and finally he heeded what they said. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
But he refused, and said, I will not eate: but his seruants and the woman together compelled him, and he obeyed their voyce: so he arose from the earth, and sate on the bed.
24 The woman had a fat calf close to her house. She quickly slaughtered it [and cooked it]. She took some flour and mixed it [with olive oil], and baked it without putting in any yeast.
Nowe the woman had a fat calfe in the house, and she hasted, and killed it, and tooke floure and kneaded it, and baked of it vnleauened bread.
25 She placed the food in front of Saul and his servants, and they ate some of it. Then that night they got up and left.
Then she brought them before Saul, and before his seruants: and when they had eaten, they stoode, and went away the same night.
