Psalm 98

A psalm.

Saul and the Medium at Endor

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

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

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

⁸ So Saul disguised^(N) himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult^(O) 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^(P) the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap^(Q) 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?^(R) 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.”^(S)

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

“An old man wearing a robe^(T) 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^(U) from me. He no longer answers^(V) me, either by prophets or by dreams.^(W) 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^(X) the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. ¹⁸ Because you did not obey^(Y) the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath^(Z) against the Amalekites,^(AA) 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^(AB) will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

¹⁸ The wrath of God^(A) is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.^{(B) 20} For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,^(C) so that people are without excuse.^(D)

²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.^{(E) 22} Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools^{(F) 23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images^(G) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over^(H) in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.^{(I) 25} They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,^(J) and worshiped and served created things^(K) rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.^(L) Amen.^(M)