1 Samuel 28:3–10

Saul Consults a Medium

³Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. Saul had expelled the mediums and the wizards from the land.^{* 4}The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa.^{* 5}When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶When Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, not by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.^{* 7}Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her.” His servants said to him, “There is a medium at Endor.”^*

⁸So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes and went there, he and two men with him. They came to the woman by night. And he said, “Consult a spirit for me, and bring up for me the one whom I name to you.”^{* 9}The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?”^{* 10}But Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”