1 Samuel 27–31

David Lives in Philistine Territory

27David thought, “Some day the powerful hand of Saul will destroy me. So the best thing I can do is escape. I’ll go to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop looking for me everywhere in Israel. His hand won’t be able to reach me.”

²So David and his 600 men left Israel. They went to Achish, the king of Gath. He was the son of Maoch. ³David and his men settled down in Gath near Achish. Each of David’s men had his family with him. David had his two wives with him. They were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel. Abigail was Nabal’s widow.

⁴Saul was told that David had run away to Gath. So he didn’t look for David anymore.

⁵David said to Achish, “If you are pleased with me, give me a place in one of your country towns. I can live there. I don’t really need to live near you in the royal city.”

⁶So on that day Achish gave David the town of Ziklag. It has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since that time. ⁷David lived in Philistine territory for a year and four months.

⁸Sometimes David and his men would go up and attack the Geshurites. At other times they would attack the Girzites or the Amalekites. All of those people had lived in the land that reached all the way to Shur and Egypt. They had been there for a long time.

⁹When David would attack an area, he wouldn’t leave a man or woman alive. But he would take their sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels and clothes. Then he would return to Achish.

¹⁰Achish would ask, “Who did you attack today?” David would answer, “The people who live in the Negev Desert of Judah.” Or he would answer, “The people in the Negev Desert of Jerahmeel.” Or he would answer, “The people in the Negev Desert of the Kenites.”

¹¹David wouldn’t leave a man or woman alive to be brought back to Gath. He thought, “They might tell on us. They might tell Achish who we really attacked.” That’s what David did as long as he lived in Philistine territory.

¹²Achish trusted David. He thought, “David has made himself smell very bad to his people, the Israelites. So he’ll serve me forever.”

Saul Disobeys the Lord at Endor

28While David was living in Ziklag, the Philistines gathered their army together. They planned to fight against Israel.

Achish said to David, “I want you to understand that you and your men must march out with me and my army.”

²David said, “I understand. You will see for yourself what I can do.”

Achish replied, “All right. I’ll make you my own personal guard for life.”

³Samuel had died. The whole nation of Israel was filled with sorrow because he was dead. They had buried his body in his own town of Ramah.

Saul had gotten rid of people who get messages from those who have died. He had also gotten rid of people who talk to the spirits of the dead. He had thrown all of them out of the land.

⁴The Philistines gathered together and set up camp at Shunem. At the same time, Saul gathered all of the fighting men of Israel together. They set up camp at Gilboa.

⁵When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid. Terror filled his heart. ⁶He asked the Lord for advice. But the Lord didn’t answer him through dreams or prophets. He didn’t answer him when Saul had the priest use the Urim.

⁷Saul spoke to his attendants. He said, “Find me a woman who gets messages from those who have died. Then I can go and ask her some questions.”

“There’s a woman like that in Endor,” they said.

⁸Saul put on different clothes so people wouldn’t know who he was. At night he and two of his men went to see the woman. “I want you to talk to a spirit for me,” he said. “Bring up the spirit of the dead person I choose.”

⁹But the woman said to him, “By now you must know what Saul has done. He has cut off everyone who gets messages from those who have died. He has also cut off everyone who talks to the spirits of the dead. He has thrown all of them out of the land. Why are you trying to trap me? Why do you want to have me put to death?”

¹⁰Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord. He promised the woman, “You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that you won’t be punished for helping me.”

¹¹Then the woman asked, “Whose spirit should I bring up for you?”

“Bring Samuel up,” he said.

¹²When the woman saw Samuel, she let out a loud scream. She said to Saul, “Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul!”

¹³He said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Tell me what you see.”

The woman said, “I see a spirit. He’s coming up out of the ground.”

¹⁴“What does he look like?” Saul asked.

“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.

Then Saul knew it was Samuel. He bowed down. He lay down flat with his face toward the ground.

¹⁵Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you troubled me by bringing me up from the dead?”

“I’m having big problems,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me. God has turned away from me. He doesn’t answer me anymore. He doesn’t speak to me through prophets or dreams. So I’ve called on you to tell me what to do.”

¹⁶Samuel said, “The Lord has turned away from you. He has become your enemy. So why are you asking me what you should do? ¹⁷The Lord has spoken through me and has done what he said he would do. He has torn the kingdom out of your hands. He has given it to one of your neighbors. He has given it to David. ¹⁸You didn’t obey the Lord. You didn’t carry out his burning anger against the Amalekites. So he’s punishing you today.

¹⁹“He will hand both Israel and you over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be down here with me. The Lord will also hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines.”

²⁰Immediately Saul fell flat on the ground. What Samuel had said filled Saul with fear. His strength was gone. He hadn’t eaten anything all that day and night.

²¹The woman went over to Saul because she saw that he was very upset. She said, “Look, I’ve obeyed you. I put my own life in danger by doing what you told me to do. ²²So please listen to me. Let me give you some food. Eat it. Then you will have the strength to go on your way.”

²³But he refused. He said, “I don’t want anything to eat.”

Then his men joined the woman in begging him to eat. Finally, he paid attention to them. He got up from the ground and sat on a couch.

²⁴The woman had a fat calf at her house. She killed it at once. She got some flour. She mixed it and baked some bread that didn’t have any yeast in it. ²⁵Then she set the food in front of Saul and his men. They ate it. That same night they got up and left.

Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag

29The Philistines gathered their whole army together at Aphek. Israel’s army camped by the spring of water at Jezreel. ²The Philistine rulers marched out in companies of hundreds and thousands. David and his men were marching with Achish behind the others.

³The commanders of the Philistines asked, “Why are these Hebrews here?”

Achish replied, “That’s David, isn’t it? Wasn’t he an officer of Saul, the king of Israel? He has already been with me for more than a year. I haven’t found any fault in him. That’s been true from the day he left Saul until now.”

⁴But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish. They said, “Send David back. Let him return to the town you gave him. He must not go with us into battle. If he does, he’ll turn against us during the fighting. In fact, he might even cut off the heads of our own men. What better way could he choose to win back his master’s favor? ⁵Isn’t David the one the Israelites sang about when they danced? They sang,

“ ‘Saul has killed thousands of men.

David has killed tens of thousands.’ ”

⁶So Achish called David over to him. He said, “You have been faithful to me. And that’s just as sure as the Lord is alive. I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. I haven’t found any fault in you. That’s been true from the day you came to me until now. But the Philistine rulers aren’t pleased to have you come along. ⁷So go back home in peace. Don’t do anything that wouldn’t please the Philistine rulers.”

⁸“But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against me from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against your enemies? After all, you are my king and master.”

⁹Achish answered, “You have been as pleasing to me as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders have said, ‘We don’t want David to go up with us into battle.’ ¹⁰So get up early in the morning. Take with you the men who used to serve Saul. Leave as soon as the sun begins to come up.”

¹¹So David and his men got up early in the morning. They went back to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David Destroys the Amalekites

30On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag. The Amalekites had attacked the people of the Negev Desert. They had also attacked Ziklag and burned it. ²They had captured the women and everyone else who was in Ziklag. They had taken as prisoners young people and old people alike. But they didn’t kill any of them. Instead, they carried them off as they went on their way.

³David and his men came to Ziklag. They saw that it had been destroyed by fire. They found out that their wives and sons and daughters had been captured. ⁴So David and his men began to sob out loud. They sobbed until they couldn’t sob anymore. ⁵David’s two wives had been captured. Their names were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail from Carmel. Abigail was Nabal’s widow.

⁶David was greatly troubled. His men were even talking about killing him by throwing stones at him. All of them were very bitter because their sons and daughters had been taken away. But David was made strong by the Lord his God.

⁷Then David spoke to the priest Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech. He said, “Bring me the linen apron.” Abiathar brought it to him. ⁸David asked the Lord for advice. He said, “Should I chase after the men who attacked Ziklag? If I do, will I catch up with them?”

“Chase after them,” the Lord answered. “You will certainly catch up with them. You will succeed in saving those who were captured.”

⁹David and…