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 assuredly that you will go out with me in the camp, you and your men.” ² David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” So Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you ^[a]my bodyguard ^(B)for life.”

³ Now ^(C)Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him ^(D)in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who ^(E)were mediums and spiritists. ⁴ So the Philistines gathered together 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)When Saul inquired of the Lord, ^(I)the Lord did not answer him, either by ^(J)dreams or by ^(K)Urim or by prophets. ⁷ Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is a medium, 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 other clothes, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, “^(O)Conjure up for me, please, and ^(P)bring up for me whom I shall ^[b]name to you.” ⁹ But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know ^(Q)what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?” ¹⁰ Saul vowed 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 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a ^[c]divine being coming up out of the earth.” ¹⁴ He said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and ^(R)he is wrapped with a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and ^(S)he bowed with his face to the ground and did homage.

¹⁵ Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war against me, and ^(T)God has departed from me and ^(U)no longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I should do.” ¹⁶ Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has departed from you and has become your adversary? ¹⁷ The Lord has done ^[d]accordingly ^(V)as He spoke through me; for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David. ¹⁸ As ^(W)you did not ^[e]obey the Lord and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, so the Lord has done this thing to you this day. ¹⁹ Moreover the Lord will also give over Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow ^(X)you and your sons will be with me. Indeed the Lord will give over the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines!”

²⁰ Then Saul immediately fell full length upon the ground and was very afraid because of the words of Samuel; also there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no ^[f]food all day and all night. ²¹ The woman came to Saul and saw that he was terrified, and said to him, “Behold, your maidservant has ^[g]obeyed you, and ^(Y)I have ^[h]taken my life in my hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me. ²² So now also, please listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you that you may eat and 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 ^[i]them. So he arose from the ground and sat on ^(AB)the bed. ²⁴ The woman had a ^(AC)fattened calf in the house, and she quickly slaughtered it; and she ^(AD)took flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened bread from it. ²⁵ She brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they arose and went away that night.

Thanksgiving for These Believers

1 ^(A)Paul and ^(B)Silvanus and ^(C)Timothy,

To the ^(D)church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: ^(E)Grace to you and peace.

^2 (F)We give thanks to God always for all of you, ^(G)making mention of you in our prayers; ³ constantly bearing in mind your ^(H)work of faith and labor of ^(I)love and ^[a](J)steadfastness of hope ^[b]in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of ^(K)our God and Father, ⁴ knowing, ^(L)brethren beloved by God, ^(M)His choice of you; ⁵ for our ^(N)gospel did not come to you in word only, but also ^(O)in power and in the Holy Spirit and with ^(P)full conviction; just as you know ^(Q)what kind of men we ^[c]proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶ You also became ^(R)imitators of us and of the Lord, ^(S)having received ^(T)the word in much tribulation with the ^(U)joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷ so that you became an example to all the believers in ^(V)Macedonia and in ^(W)Achaia. ⁸ For ^(X)the word of the Lord has ^(Y)sounded forth from you, not only in ^(Z)Macedonia and ^(AA)Achaia, but also ^(AB)in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. ⁹ For they themselves report about us what kind of a ^[d](AC)reception we had ^[e]with you, and how you ^(AD)turned to God ^(AE)from ^[f]idols to serve ^[g](AF)a living and true God, ¹⁰ and to ^(AG)wait for His Son from ^[h]heaven, whom He ^(AH)raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who ^(AI)rescues us from ^(AJ)the wrath to come.

Paul’s Ministry

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our ^[i](AK)coming to you ^(AL)was not in vain, ² but after we had already suffered and been ^(AM)mistreated in ^(AN)Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God ^(AO)to speak to you the ^(AP)gospel of God amid much ^[j](AQ)opposition. ³ For our ^(AR)exhortation does not come from ^(AS)error or ^(AT)impurity or ^[k]by way of ^(AU)deceit; ^4 (AV)but just as we have been approved by God to be ^(AW)entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, ^(AX)not as pleasing men, but God who ^[l](AY)examines our hearts. ⁵ For we never came ^[m]with flattering speech, as you know, nor with ^(AZ)a pretext for greed—^(BA)God is witness— ⁶ nor did we ^(BB)seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as ^(BC)apostles of Christ ^[n]we might have ^[o]asserted our authority. ⁷ But we ^[p]proved to be ^[q](BD)gentle ^[r]among you, ^(BE)as a nursing mother ^[s]tenderly cares for her own children. ⁸ Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to ^(BF)impart to you not only the ^(BG)gospel of God but also our own ^[t]lives, because you had become ^[u]very dear to us.

⁹ For you recall, brethren, our ^(BH)labor and hardship, how ^(BI)working night and day so as not to be a ^(BJ)burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the ^(BK)gospel of God. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is ^(BL)God, ^(BM)how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we ^[v]behaved toward you ^[w]believers; ¹¹ just as you know how we were ^(BN)exhorting and encouraging and ^[x](BO)imploring each one of you as ^(BP)a father would his own children, ¹² so that you would ^(BQ)walk in a manner worthy of the God who ^(BR)calls you into His own kingdom and ^(BS)glory.

¹³ For this reason we also constantly ^(BT)thank God that when you received the ^(BU)word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it ^(BV)not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, ^(BW)which also performs its work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brethren, became ^(BX)imitators of ^(BY)the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are ^(BZ)in Judea, for ^(CA)you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, ^(CB)even as they did from the Jews, ^15 (CC)who both killed the Lord Jesus and ^(CD)the prophets, and ^[y]drove us out. ^[z]They are not pleasing to God, ^[aa]but hostile to all men, ^16 (CE)hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles ^(CF)so that they may be saved; with the result that they always ^(CG)fill up the measure of their sins. But ^(CH)wrath has come upon them ^[ab]to the utmost.

¹⁷ But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a ^[ac]short while—^(CI)in ^[ad]person, not in ^[ae]spirit—were all the more eager with great desire ^(CJ)to see your face. ^18 [af]For ^(CK)we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, ^[ag](CL)more than once—and yet ^(CM)Satan ^(CN)hindered us. ¹⁹ For who is our hope or ^(CO)joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His ^[ah](CP)coming? ²⁰ For you are ^(CQ)our glory and joy.

Encouragement of Timothy’s Visit

3 Therefore ^(CR)when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at ^(CS)Athens alone, ² and we sent ^(CT)Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, ³ so that no one would be ^[ai]disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that ^(CU)we have been destined for this. ⁴ For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; ^[aj](CV)and so it came to pass, ^[ak]as you know. ⁵ For this reason, ^(CW)when I could endure it no longer, I also ^(CX)sent to ^[al]find out about your faith, for fear that ^(CY)the tempter might have tempted you, and ^(CZ)our labor would be in vain.

⁶ But now that ^(DA)Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of ^(DB)your faith and love, and that you always ^(DC)think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, ⁷ for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; ⁸ for now we really live, if you ^(DD)stand firm in the Lord. ⁹ For ^(DE)what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, ¹⁰ as we ^(DF)night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may ^(DG)see your face, and may ^(DH)complete what is lacking in your faith?

^11 (DI)Now may ^(DJ)our God and Father ^(DK)Himself and Jesus our Lord ^(DL)direct our way to you; ¹² and may the Lord cause you to increase and ^(DM)abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; ¹³ so that He may ^(DN)establish your hearts ^(DO)without blame in holiness before ^(DP)our God and Father at the ^[am](DQ)coming of our Lord Jesus ^(DR)with all His ^[an]saints.

Sanctification and Love

4 ^(DS)Finally then, ^(DT)brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to ^[ao](DU)walk and ^(DV)please God (just as you actually do ^[ap]walk), that you ^(DW)excel still more. ² For you know what commandments we gave you ^[aq]by the authority of the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you ^(DX)abstain from ^[ar]sexual immorality; ⁴ that ^(DY)each of you know how to ^[as]possess his own ^[at](DZ)vessel in sanctification and ^(EA)honor, ⁵ not in ^[au](EB)lustful passion, like the Gentiles who ^(EC)do not know God; ⁶ and that no man transgress and ^(ED)defraud his brother ^(EE)in the matter because ^(EF)the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also ^(EG)told you before and solemnly warned you. ⁷ For ^(EH)God has not called us for ^(EI)the purpose of impurity, but ^[av]in sanctification. ⁸ So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who ^(EJ)gives His Holy Spirit to you.

⁹ Now as to the ^(EK)love of the brethren, you ^(EL)have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are ^(EM)taught by God to love one another; ¹⁰ for indeed ^(EN)you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to ^(EO)excel still more, ¹¹ and to make it your ambition ^(EP)to lead a quiet life and ^(EQ)attend to your own business and ^(ER)work with your hands, just as we commanded you, ¹² so that you will ^[aw](ES)behave properly toward ^(ET)outsiders and ^[ax](EU)not be in any need.

Those Who Died in Christ

¹³ But ^(EV)we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who ^(EW)are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do ^(EX)the rest who have ^(EY)no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, ^(EZ)even so God will bring with Him ^(FA)those who have fallen asleep ^[ay]in Jesus. ¹⁵ For this we say to you ^(FB)by the word of the Lord, that ^(FC)we who are alive ^[az]and remain until ^(FD)the coming of the Lord, will not precede ^(FE)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord ^(FF)Himself ^(FG)will descend from heaven with a ^[ba](FH)shout, with the voice of ^(FI)the archangel and with the ^(FJ)trumpet of God, and ^(FK)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then ^(FL)we who are alive ^[bb]and remain will be ^(FM)caught up together with them ^(FN)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always ^(FO)be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now as to the ^(FP)times and the epochs, brethren, you ^(FQ)have no need of anything to be written to you. ² For you yourselves know full well that ^(FR)the day of the Lord ^[bc]will come ^(FS)just like a thief in the night. ³ While they are saying, “^(FT)Peace and safety!” then ^[bd](FU)destruction ^[be]will come upon them suddenly like ^(FV)labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in ^(FW)darkness, that the day would overtake you ^[bf](FX)like a thief; ⁵ for you are all ^(FY)sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of ^(FZ)darkness; ⁶ so then let us not ^(GA)sleep as ^[bg](GB)others do, but let us be alert and ^[bh](GC)sober. ⁷ For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get ^(GD)drunk at night. ⁸ But since ^(GE)we are of the day, let us ^(GF)be ^[bi]sober, having put on the ^(GG)breastplate of ^(GH)faith and love, and as a ^(GI)helmet, the ^(GJ)hope of salvation. ⁹ For God has not destined us for ^(GK)wrath, but for ^(GL)obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^10 (GM)who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore ^[bj]encourage one another and ^(GN)build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Christian Conduct

¹² But we request of you, brethren, that you ^[bk](GO)appreciate those ^(GP)who diligently labor among you, and ^(GQ)have charge over you in the Lord and give you ^[bl]instruction, ¹³ and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. ^(GR)Live in peace with one another. ¹⁴ We urge you, brethren, admonish ^(GS)the ^[bm]unruly, encourage ^(GT)the fainthearted, help ^(GU)the weak, be ^(GV)patient with everyone. ¹⁵ See that ^(GW)no one repays another with evil for evil, but always ^(GX)seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. ^16 (GY)Rejoice always; ^17 (GZ)pray without ceasing; ¹⁸ in everything ^(HA)give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ^19 (HB)Do not quench the Spirit; ²⁰ do not despise ^(HC)prophetic ^[bn]utterances. ²¹ But ^(HD)examine everything carefully; ^(HE)hold fast to that which is good; ²² abstain from every ^[bo]form of evil.

²³ Now ^(HF)may the God of peace ^(HG)Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your ^(HH)spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, ^(HI)without blame at ^(HJ)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^24 (HK)Faithful is He who ^(HL)calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

²⁵ Brethren, ^(HM)pray for us^[bp].

^26 (HN)Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. ²⁷ I adjure you by the Lord to ^(HO)have this letter read to all the ^(HP)brethren.

^28 (HQ)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God.

A Psalm of David, ^[a]when he was in the wilderness of Judah.