Saul Consults a Medium

28 Now ^(A)it 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.”

Saul Consults a Medium^(B)

³ Now ^(C)Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in ^(D)Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put ^(E)the mediums and the spiritists out of the land.

⁴ Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at ^(F)Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at ^(G)Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was ^(H)afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ And when Saul inquired of the Lord, ^(I)the Lord did not answer him, either by ^(J)dreams or ^(K)by Urim or by the prophets.

⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, ^(L)that 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 ^(M)he 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 ^(N)cut 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 ^(O)a^[a] spirit 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 ^(P)a 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 ^(Q)disturbed me by bringing me up?”

And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and ^(R)God has departed from me and ^(S)does 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 ^[b]Himself ^(T)as He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. ^18 (U)Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon ^(V)Amalek, 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 ^(W)me. 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 ^(X)put 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.

The Philistines Reject David

29 Then ^(Y)the Philistines gathered together all their armies ^(Z)at Aphek, and the Israelites encamped by a fountain which is in Jezreel. ² And the ^(AA)lords of the Philistines ^[c]passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but ^(AB)David 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 ^(AC)these days, or these years? And to this day I have ^(AD)found 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, ^(AE)“Make this fellow return, that he may go back to the place which you have appointed for him, and do not let him go down with us to ^(AF)battle, lest ^(AG)in the battle he become our adversary. For with what could he reconcile himself to his master, if not with the heads of these ^(AH)men? ⁵ Is this not David, ^(AI)of whom they sang to one another in dances, saying:

⁶ Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the Lord lives, you have been upright, and ^(AK)your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day ^(AL)I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the lords do not favor you. ⁷ Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.”

⁸ So David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹ Then Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are as good in my sight ^(AM)as an angel of God; nevertheless ^(AN)the princes of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ ¹⁰ Now therefore, rise early in the morning with your master’s servants ^(AO)who have come with ^[d]you. And as soon as you are up early in the morning and have light, depart.”

¹¹ So David and his men rose early to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. ^(AP)And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

Plea for Judgment of False Accusers

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus^(A)

11 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to ^(B)teach and to preach in their cities.

^2 (C)And when John had heard ^(D)in prison about the works of Christ, he ^[a]sent two of his disciples ³ and said to Him, “Are You ^(E)the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: ^5 (F)The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and ^(G)the poor have the gospel preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is he who is not ^(H)offended because of Me.”

^7 (I)As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? ^(J)A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹ But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, ^(K)and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ For this is he of whom it is written:

¹¹ “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ^12 (M)And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. ^13 (N)For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to receive it, he is ^(O)Elijah who is to come. ^15 (P)He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

^16 (Q)“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, ¹⁷ and saying:

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a ^[c]winebibber, ^(R)a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ^(S)But wisdom is justified by her ^[d]children.”

Woe to the Impenitent Cities^(T)

^20 (U)Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago ^(V)in sackcloth and ashes. ²² But I say to you, ^(W)it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, ^(X)who^[e] are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I say to you ^(Y)that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

Jesus Gives True Rest^(Z)

^25 (AA)At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that ^(AB)You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent ^(AC)and have revealed them to babes. ²⁶ Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ^27 (AD)All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. ^(AE)Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. ²⁸ Come to ^(AF)Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you ^(AG)and learn from Me, for I am ^[f]gentle and ^(AH)lowly in heart, ^(AI)and you will find rest for your souls. ^30 (AJ)For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”