Filistrene forbereder sig til kamp mod Israel
1På den tid overvejede filistrene igen at gå til angreb på Israel. „I skal følge med os i kamp mod Israel,” sagde kong Akish til David og hans mænd. 2„Det er i orden!” svarede David. „Du vil få at se, hvad vi er værd.” „Det kan jeg lide!” udbrød Akish. „Jeg udnævner dig hermed til min personlige livvagt.”
Saul besøger en åndemaner
3Samuel var jo død, og hele Israel havde holdt sørgeklage over ham, dengang de begravede ham i hans hjemby Rama. I Samuels tid havde Saul følt sig nødsaget til at udrydde samtlige spåmænd og dødemanere i landet.
4Da filistrenes hær var nået frem til Shunem i Jizre’eldalen, lå Saul i lejr med hele Israels hær på Gilboahøjen med udsigt over dalen. 5Da Saul så filistrenes enorme hær, blev han skrækslagen og havde mest lyst til at flygte. 6Han prøvede at spørge Herren, om han skulle gå i krig eller ej, men Herren svarede ham ikke et ord, hverken gennem drømme eller ved det hellige lod, Urim, eller ved et budskab fra profeterne. 7Derfor gav Saul sine folk ordre til at finde en dødemaner, han kunne spørge til råds. Det lykkedes dem at finde en kvinde i En-Dor,28,7 En-Dor ligger ca. 10 km nord for Gilboahøjen, hvor Saul opholdte sig. der kunne kontakte de døde. 8Så forklædte Saul sig, tog to af sine mænd med, og i ly af mørket opsøgte han kvinden.
„Jeg må i kontakt med en af de døde,” bad Saul. „Kan du mane hans ånd frem?”
9„Er du ude på at få mig slået ihjel?” spurgte kvinden. „Ved du ikke, at Saul har udryddet landets spåmænd og dødemanere?” 10Men Saul svarede: „Så sandt Herren lever, sværger jeg på, at der ikke vil ske dig noget.”
11Så spurgte hun: „Hvem er det, du ønsker kontakt med?”
„Samuel,” svarede Saul.
12Kvinden så nu Samuel, der viste sig for hende, og hun skreg op med det samme: „Du har bedraget mig! Du er jo Saul!”
13„Vær ikke bange. Der skal ikke ske dig noget,” svarede kongen. „Men sig mig, hvem det er, du ser.”
„Jeg ser en ånd komme op af jorden.”
14„Hvordan ser den ud?”
„Det er en gammel mand indhyllet i en kappe.”
Da forstod Saul, at det var Samuel, og han bøjede sig ærbødigt for ham.
15„Hvorfor har du forstyrret mig og manet mig frem?” spurgte Samuel.
„Fordi jeg er i knibe,” svarede Saul. „Filistrene er klar til at angribe os, men Gud har forladt mig, og han svarer mig hverken gennem drømme eller ved profeterne. Derfor henvender jeg mig direkte til dig for at få at vide, hvad jeg skal gøre.”
16Men Samuel svarede: „Hvorfor spørger du mig, når Herren har forladt dig og er blevet din modstander? 17Det er jo hans eget ord, som jeg selv har profeteret for dig, der nu går i opfyldelse: Han vil rive kongedømmet fra dig og give det til din rival, David. 18Det er konsekvensen af, at du ikke adlød Herrens ord, dengang han brugte dig som sit redskab til at straffe amalekitterne. 19Og hvad værre er: i morgen skal hele Israels hær prisgives og hugges ned af filistrene, og du selv og dine sønner skal ende her hos mig.”
20Da kastede Saul sig fladt ned på jorden, lammet af frygt over Samuels ord. Han var desuden udmattet af sult, for han havde ikke spist i næsten et døgn. 21Da kvinden så, hvor fortvivlet han var, sagde hun: „Herre, jeg satte livet på spil ved at føje dig. 22Nu beder jeg dig om at føje mig og lade mig give dig noget at spise, så du kan komme til kræfter inden hjemturen.”
23Saul vægrede sig og sagde: „Jeg kan ikke spise noget.” Men da både kvinden og hans egne mænd ihærdigt prøvede at overtale ham, gav han efter, rejste sig fra gulvet og satte sig op på sengen. 24Kvinden skyndte sig nu at slagte sin fedekalv. Hun æltede også mel og bagte usyrnet brød. 25Så serverede hun maden for kongen og hans mænd, og de spiste, før de samme nat drog af sted derfra.
1In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.”
2David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.”
Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”
Saul and the Medium at Endor
3Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.
4The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. 5When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 7Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”
“There is one in Endor,” they said.
8So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”
9But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”
10Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”
11Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”
“Bring up Samuel,” he said.
12When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”
13The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”
The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure28:13 Or see spirits; or see gods coming up out of the earth.”
14“What does he look like?” he asked.
“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
15Samuel 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 from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”
16Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? 17The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. 18Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. 19The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
20Immediately 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.
21When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. 22Now 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.”
23He refused 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.
24The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. 25Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.
