1 Samuel 28:1-25
28 And in those days the Philistines gathered their armies for a campaign, to attack Israel; and Akish said to David “Understand that you go out with me in the army, you and your men.”
2 And David said to Akish “So you shall know for yourself what your servant does”; and Akish said to David “So I will appoint you my permanent lifeguard.”
3 And Samuel had died, and all Israel had wailed for him and buried him in his city Ramah. And Saul had expelled from the country all the spirit-mediums of different kinds.
4 And the Philistines gathered and came and encamped at Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboaʽ.
5 And Saul saw the Philistine army, and was afraid and utterly unnerved;
6 and Saul put questions to Jehovah, but Jehovah did not answer him either by dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets.
7 * And Saul said to his officers “Look me up a medium that I can go to and inquire of her”; and his officers said to him “There is a medium to be found at ʽEn-Dor.”
8 And Saul disguised himself and put on different clothes, and went, he and two men with him, and came to the woman in the night and said “Use your power as medium for me, and bring me up the one I tell you to.”
9 * But the woman said to him “Now you know what Saul did, how he extirpated the different kinds of mediums out of the country, and why are you shooting at my life?”
10 But Saul swore to her by Jehovah, “As Jehovah lives, you shall not suffer for this matter”;
11 and the woman said “Whom shall I bring up for you?” and he said “Bring me up Samuel.”
12 And the woman saw Samuel, and gave a loud cry and said “Why did you deceive me, when you are Saul?”
13 And the king said to her “Do not be afraid; but what did you see?” and she said to him “I saw a god coming up out of the earth.”
14 And he said to her “What did he look like?” and she said “An old man is coming up, wrapped in a robe”; and Saul knew it was Samuel, and bowed his face to the ground and did reverence.
15 And Samuel said to Saul “Why have you disturbed me with bringing me up?” and Saul said “I am in a very hard case, with the Philistines making war on me and God gone away from me and not answering me any longer either through the prophets or by dreams; and I have called you to let me know what to do.”
16 * But Samuel said “And why should you ask me, when Jehovah has gone away from you and become your enemy?
17 And Jehovah has done as he said by me he would, and torn the kingship out of your hands and given it to a rival of yours, David.
18 As you did not obey Jehovah and wreak his anger on the ʽAmalekites, therefore Jehovah has done this thing to you this day;
19 and Jehovah has also given Israel with you into the Philistines’ hands. And tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me; the army of Israel too Jehovah will give into the Philistines’ hands.”
20 And Saul was dumbfounded, and fell full length on the ground, and was greatly afraid at Samuel’s words; he had no strength in him either, because he had not eaten food all day and all night.
21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was in utter consternation; and she said to him “Here your servant has obeyed you, I have taken my life in my hand and listened to the things you proposed to me;
22 now take your turn to obey your servant, and let me set a bit of bread before you, and eat something so as to have some strength in you when you go on your way”;
23 but he refused, and said “I will not eat.” But his servants urged him, and so did the woman; and he obeyed them, and rose from the ground and sat down on the bed.
24 And the woman, who had a tied-up calf in the house, killed it in haste and took meal and kneaded it up and baked it into matzoth,
25 and presented it before Saul and his servants, and they ate, and went off that night.
Footnotes
^ 28:7 Or inquire by her
^ 28:9 Lit. setting a trap for my soul to cause its death
^ 28:16 Var. gone away from you and is with a rival of yours?”
