1 Samuel 28:1–31:13
28 Now ait happened in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for war, to fight with Israel. And Achish said to David, “You assuredly know that you will go out with me to battle, you and your men.”
2 So David said to Achish, “Surely you know what your servant can do.”
And Achish said to David, “Therefore I will make you one of my chief guardians forever.”
3 Now bSamuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in cRamah, in his own city. And Saul had put dthe mediums and the spiritists out of the land.
4 Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at eShunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at fGilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was gafraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the Lord, hthe Lord did not answer him, either by idreams or jby Urim or by the prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, kthat I may go to her and inquire of her.”
And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.”
8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And lhe said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”
9 Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has mcut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”
10 And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”
11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”
And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!”
13 And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?”
And the woman said to Saul, “I saw na 1spirit ascending out of the earth.”
14 So he said to her, “What is his form?”
And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with oa mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.
15 Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you pdisturbed me by bringing me up?”
And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and qGod has departed from me and rdoes not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”
16 Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? 17 And the Lord has done for 2Himself sas He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 tBecause you did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon uAmalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with vme. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day or all night.
21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled, and said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have wput my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me. 22 Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.”
23 But he refused and said, “I will not eat.”
So his servants, together with the woman, urged him; and he heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. 24 Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it. And she took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread from it. 25 So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night.
29 Then athe Philistines gathered together all their armies bat Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel. 2 And the clords of the Philistines 1passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but dDavid and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish. 3 Then the princes of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”
And Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me ethese days, or these years? And to this day I have ffound no fault in him since he defected to me.”
4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; so the princes of the Philistines said to him, g“Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have …
Psalm 18
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David aThe Servant of the Lord, Who Spoke to the Lord The Words of bThis Song on the Day that the Lord Delivered Him from the Hand of All His Enemies and from the Hand of Saul. And He Said:
1 I cwill love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my 1strength, din whom I will trust;
My shield and the 2horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I will call upon the Lord, ewho is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 fThe pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of 3ungodliness made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
7 gThen the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
8 Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
9 hHe bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
10 iAnd He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
jHe flew upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness His secret place;
kHis canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
12 lFrom the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered mHis voice,
4Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 nHe sent out His arrows and scattered 5the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
16 oHe sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
19 pHe also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.
20 qThe Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23 I was also blameless 6before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 rTherefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25 sWith the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And twith the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27 For You will save the humble people,
But will bring down uhaughty looks.
28 vFor You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by You I can 7run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God, wHis way is perfect;
xThe word of the Lord is 8proven;
He is a shield yto all who trust in Him.
31 zFor who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
32 It is God who aarms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
33 bHe makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And csets me on my high places.
34 dHe teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36 You enlarged my path under me,
eSo my feet did not slip.
37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have 9subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
41 They cried out, but there was none to save;
fEven to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
42 Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
I gcast them out like dirt in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
hYou have made me the head of the 1nations;
iA people I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me they obey me;
The foreigners 2submit to me.
45 jThe foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
kAnd subdues the peoples under me;
48 He delivers me from my enemies.
lYou also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
49 mTherefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the 3Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.
50 nGreat deliverance He gives to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his 4descendants forevermore.