1 Samuel 28

28In those days the Philistines gathered^z their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.”

²David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.”

Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard^a for life.”

Saul and the Medium at Endor

³Now Samuel was dead,^b and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah.^c Saul had expelled^d the mediums and spiritists^e from the land.

⁴The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem,^f while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa.^{g 5}When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror^h filled his heart. ⁶He inquiredⁱ of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams^j or Urim^k or prophets.^{l 7}Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium,^m so I may go and inquire of her.”

“There is one in Endor,ⁿ” they said.

⁸So Saul disguised^o himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult^p a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

⁹But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off^q the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap^r for my life to bring about my death?”

¹⁰Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”

¹¹Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

¹²When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me?^s You are Saul!”

¹³The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure^a coming up out of the earth.”^t

¹⁴“What does he look like?” he asked.

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

Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

¹⁵Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed^v from me. He no longer answers^w me, either by prophets or by dreams.^x So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

¹⁶Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? ¹⁷The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn^y the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. ¹⁸Because you did not obey^z the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath^a against the Amalekites,^b the Lord has done this to you today. ¹⁹The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons^c will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

²⁰Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.

²¹When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life^d in my hands and did what you told me to do. ²²Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

²³He refused^e and said, “I will not eat.”

But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

²⁴The woman had a fattened calf^f at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. ²⁵Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.