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1 Samuel 28-30
New American Standard Bible

Saul and the Spirit Medium

28 Now it came about in those days that (A)the Philistines gathered their armed camps for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Know for certain that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your men.” 2 David said to Achish, “Very well, you will learn what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “Then I will assuredly make you [a]my bodyguard (B)for [b]life!”

3 Now (C)Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned him and buried him (D)in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the (E)mediums and spiritists from the land. 4 So the Philistines assembled and came and camped (F)in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they camped in (G)Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled greatly. 6 (H)So Saul inquired of the Lord, but (I)the Lord did not answer him, either in (J)dreams, or by the (K)Urim, or by the prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find for me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, (L)there is a woman who is a medium at (M)En-dor.”

8 Then Saul (N)disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, “(O)Consult the spirit for me, please, and (P)bring up for me the one whom I shall [c]name for you.” 9 But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know (Q)what Saul has done, that he has eliminated the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then setting a trap for my life, to bring about my death?” 10 So Saul swore an oath 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 But the king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a [d]divine being coming up from the earth.” 14 He said to her, “[e]How does he appear?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and (R)he is wrapped in a robe.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and (S)he bowed with his face to the ground and paid [f]homage.

15 And Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul replied, “I am very distressed, for the Philistines are waging war against me, and (T)God has abandoned me and (U)no longer answers me, either through prophets or in dreams; therefore I have called you, so that you may let me know what I should do.” 16 Samuel said, “But why ask me, since the Lord has abandoned you and has become your enemy? 17 And the Lord has done [g]just (V)as He spoke through me; for the Lord has torn the kingdom from your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David. 18 Just as (W)you did not [h]obey the Lord and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so the Lord has done this thing to you this day. 19 Furthermore, the Lord will also hand Israel along with you over to the Philistines; so tomorrow (X)you and your sons will be with me. Indeed, the Lord will hand the army of Israel over to the Philistines!”

20 Then Saul immediately fell full length to the ground and was very afraid because of Samuel’s words; there was no strength in him either, because he had eaten no [i]food all day and all night. 21 The woman came to Saul and saw that he was utterly horrified, and she said to him, “Behold, your servant has [j]obeyed you, and (Y)I have [k]taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. 22 So now you too, please listen to the voice of your servant, and let me serve you a piece of bread, and eat it, so that you will have strength when you go on your way.” 23 But he refused and said, “(Z)I will not eat.” (AA)However, his servants together with the woman urged him, and he listened to [l]them. So he got up from the ground and sat on (AB)the bed. 24 Now the woman had a (AC)fattened calf in the house, and she quickly slaughtered it; then she (AD)took flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened bread from it. 25 She then served it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they got up and left that night.

The Philistines Mistrust David

29 Now (AE)the Philistines gathered together all their armies to (AF)Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in (AG)Jezreel. 2 And the governors of the Philistines were proceeding on, leading hundreds and thousands, and (AH)David and his men were proceeding in the back with Achish. 3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, (AI)who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and (AJ)I have found nothing at all suspicious in him since the day he [m]deserted to me to this day?” 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man go back, so that he will return (AK)to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, (AL)or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For how could this man find favor with his lord? Would it not be with the heads of [n]these men? 5 Is this not David, (AM)of whom they sing in the dances, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have indeed been honest, and (AN)your [o]going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; (AO)for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the governors. 7 Now then, return and go in peace, so that you will not do anything wrong in the sight of the governors of the Philistines.” 8 However, David said to Achish, “(AP)But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant since the day that I came before you, to this day, that I cannot go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 But Achish replied to David, “I know that you are pleasing in my sight, (AQ)like an angel of God; nevertheless (AR)the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us into the battle.’ 10 Now then, rise early in the morning (AS)with the servants of your lord who have come with you, and as soon as you have risen early in the morning and have light, leave.” 11 So David got up early, he and his men, to leave in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

David’s Victory over the Amalekites

30 Then it happened, when David and his men came to (AT)Ziklag on the third day, that (AU)the Amalekites had carried out an attack on the [p]Negev and on (AV)Ziklag, and had [q]overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; 2 and they took captive the women and all who were in it, from the small to the great, [r](AW)without killing anyone, and drove them off and went their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him (AX)raised their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. 5 Now (AY)David’s two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the [s]widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 Also, David was in great distress because (AZ)the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were [t]embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But (BA)David felt strengthened in the Lord his God.

7 Then (BB)David said to (BC)Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And (BD)David inquired of the Lord, saying, “(BE)Shall I pursue this band of raiders? Will I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, (BF)and you will certainly rescue everyone.” 9 So David left, (BG)he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where some who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for (BH)two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor stayed behind.

11 Now they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they provided him water to drink. 12 They also gave him a slice of fig cake and two cakes of raisins, and he ate; (BI)then his spirit [u]revived. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master abandoned me when I became sick three days ago. 14 We carried out an attack on (BJ)the [v]Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on (BK)the [w]Negev of Caleb, and (BL)we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 Then David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this band of raiders?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will bring you down to this band.”

16 Now when he had brought him down, behold, they were dispersed over all the land, (BM)eating and drinking and celebrating because of (BN)all the great plunder that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 And David [x]slaughtered them (BO)from the twilight [y]until the evening of [z]the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on (BP)camels and fled. 18 So David (BQ)recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and [aa]rescued his two wives. 19 And nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, plunder, or anything that they had taken for themselves; (BR)David brought it all back. 20 So David had [ab]captured all the sheep and the cattle which the people drove ahead of [ac]the other livestock, and they said, “(BS)This is David’s plunder.”

The Plunder Is Divided

21 When (BT)David came to the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow David and [ad]had been left behind at the brook Besor, and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him, then David approached the people and greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and [ae]worthless men among those who went with David said, “Since they did not go with [af]us, we will not give them any of the spoils that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, so that they may lead them away and leave.” 23 But David said, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us, for He has protected us and handed over to us the band of raiders that came against us. 24 And who will listen to you in this matter? For (BU)as is the share of the one who goes down into the battle, so shall be the share of the one who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike.” 25 So it has been from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

26 Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoils to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Behold, (BV)a [ag]gift for you from the spoils of (BW)the enemies of the Lord: 27 to those who were in (BX)Bethel, to those who were in (BY)Ramoth of the [ah]Negev, to those who were in (BZ)Jattir, 28 to those who were in (CA)Aroer, to those who were in Siphmoth, to those who were in (CB)Eshtemoa, 29 to those who were in Racal, to those who were in the cities of (CC)the Jerahmeelites, to those who were in the cities of (CD)the Kenites, 30 to those who were in (CE)Hormah, to those who were in (CF)Bor-ashan, to those who were in Athach, 31 to those who were in (CG)Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men (CH)walked.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 28:2 Lit guardian of my head
  2. 1 Samuel 28:2 Lit all the days
  3. 1 Samuel 28:8 Lit say
  4. 1 Samuel 28:13 Or god
  5. 1 Samuel 28:14 Lit What is his form
  6. 1 Samuel 28:14 I.e., great respect and honor to a superior
  7. 1 Samuel 28:17 Lit for Himself just; another reading is to you just
  8. 1 Samuel 28:18 Lit listen to the voice of
  9. 1 Samuel 28:20 Lit bread
  10. 1 Samuel 28:21 Lit listened to your voice
  11. 1 Samuel 28:21 Lit put
  12. 1 Samuel 28:23 Lit their voice
  13. 1 Samuel 29:3 Lit fell
  14. 1 Samuel 29:4 Lit those
  15. 1 Samuel 29:6 I.e., performance of duties
  16. 1 Samuel 30:1 I.e., South country
  17. 1 Samuel 30:1 Lit struck
  18. 1 Samuel 30:2 Lit they did not kill
  19. 1 Samuel 30:5 Lit wife
  20. 1 Samuel 30:6 Lit bitter of soul
  21. 1 Samuel 30:12 Lit returned to him
  22. 1 Samuel 30:14 I.e., South country
  23. 1 Samuel 30:14 I.e., South country
  24. 1 Samuel 30:17 Lit struck
  25. 1 Samuel 30:17 Lit even until
  26. 1 Samuel 30:17 Lit their
  27. 1 Samuel 30:18 Lit David rescued
  28. 1 Samuel 30:20 Lit taken
  29. 1 Samuel 30:20 Lit those livestock
  30. 1 Samuel 30:21 Lit they left them
  31. 1 Samuel 30:22 Lit sons of Belial
  32. 1 Samuel 30:22 Lit me
  33. 1 Samuel 30:26 Lit blessing
  34. 1 Samuel 30:27 I.e., South country
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1 Samuel 28-30
New International Version

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

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

Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard(B) for life.”

Saul and the Medium at Endor

3 Now Samuel was dead,(C) and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah.(D) Saul had expelled(E) the mediums and spiritists(F) from the land.

4 The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem,(G) while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa.(H) 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror(I) filled his heart. 6 He inquired(J) of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams(K) or Urim(L) or prophets.(M) 7 Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium,(N) so I may go and inquire of her.”

“There is one in Endor,(O)” they said.

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

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

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

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

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

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

13 The 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.”(U)

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

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

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

15 Samuel 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(W) from me. He no longer answers(X) me, either by prophets or by dreams.(Y) So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

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

20 Immediately 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.

21 When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life(AE) in my hands and did what you told me to do. 22 Now 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.”

23 He refused(AF) 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.

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

Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag

29 The Philistines gathered(AH) all their forces at Aphek,(AI) and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.(AJ) 2 As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear(AK) with Achish. 3 The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?”

Achish replied, “Is this not David,(AL) who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year,(AM) and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”

4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send(AN) the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn(AO) against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? 5 Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances:

“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his tens of thousands’?”(AP)

6 So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day(AQ) you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers(AR) don’t approve of you. 7 Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”

8 “But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

9 Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel(AS) of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders(AT) have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ 10 Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave(AU) in the morning as soon as it is light.”

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

David Destroys the Amalekites

30 David and his men reached Ziklag(AV) on the third day. Now the Amalekites(AW) had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned(AX) it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.(AY) 4 So David and his men wept(AZ) aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives(BA) had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning(BB) him; each one was bitter(BC) in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength(BD) in the Lord his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar(BE) the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.(BF)” Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquired(BG) of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed(BH) in the rescue.(BI)”

9 David and the six hundred men(BJ) with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted(BK) to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.

11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— 12 part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived,(BL) for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.

13 David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”

He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite.(BM) My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev of the Kerethites,(BN) some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb.(BO) And we burned(BP) Ziklag.”

15 David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”

He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master,(BQ) and I will take you down to them.”

16 He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling(BR) because of the great amount of plunder(BS) they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17 David fought(BT) them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled.(BU) 18 David recovered(BV) everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20 He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”

21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted(BW) to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. 22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

23 David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.(BX)” 25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.

26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift(BY) for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”

27 David sent it to those who were in Bethel,(BZ) Ramoth(CA) Negev and Jattir;(CB) 28 to those in Aroer,(CC) Siphmoth,(CD) Eshtemoa(CE) 29 and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites(CF) and the Kenites;(CG) 30 to those in Hormah,(CH) Bor Ashan,(CI) Athak 31 and Hebron;(CJ) and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 28:13 Or see spirits; or see gods
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