1While David was living in Ziklag, the Philistines gathered their army together. They planned to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “Here is what you must understand. You and your men must march out with me and my army.”
2David said, “I understand. You will see for yourself what I can do.”
Achish replied, “All right. I’ll make you my own personal guard for life.”
Saul and the Woman at Endor
3Samuel had died. The whole nation of Israel was filled with sorrow because he was dead. They had buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had thrown out of the land people who get messages from those who have died. He had also thrown out people who talk to the spirits of the dead.
4The Philistines gathered together and set up camp at Shunem. At the same time, Saul gathered together all the Israelites. They set up camp at Gilboa. 5When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid. Terror filled his heart. 6He asked the Lord for advice. But the Lord didn’t answer him through dreams or prophets. He didn’t answer him when Saul had the priest cast lots by using the Urim. 7Saul spoke to his attendants. He said, “Find me a woman who gets messages from those who have died. Then I can go and ask her some questions.”
“There’s a woman like that in Endor,” they said.
8Saul put on different clothes so people wouldn’t know who he was. At night he and two of his men went to see the woman. “I want you to talk to a spirit for me,” he said. “Bring up the spirit of the dead person I choose.”
9But the woman said to him, “By now you must know what Saul has done. He has removed everyone who gets messages from those who have died. He has also removed everyone who talks to the spirits of the dead. He has thrown all of them out of the land. Why are you trying to trap me? Why do you want to have me put to death?”
10Saul made a promise in the name of the Lord. He said to the woman, “You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that you won’t be punished for helping me.”
11Then the woman asked, “Whose spirit should I bring up for you?”
“Bring Samuel up,” he said.
12When the woman saw Samuel, she let out a loud scream. She said to Saul, “Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul!”
13He said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Tell me what you see.”
The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure. He’s coming up out of the earth.”
14“What does he look like?” Saul asked.
“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel. He bowed down. He lay down flat with his face toward the ground.
15Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you troubled me by bringing me up from the dead?”
“I’m having big problems,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me. God has left me. He doesn’t answer me anymore. He doesn’t speak to me through prophets or dreams. So I’ve called on you to tell me what to do.”
16Samuel said, “The Lord has left you. He has become your enemy. So why are you asking me what you should do? 17The Lord has spoken through me and has done what he said he would do. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands. He has given it to one of your neighbors. He has given it to David. 18You didn’t obey the Lord. You didn’t show his great anger against the Amalekites by destroying them. So he’s punishing you today. 19He will hand both Israel and you over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be down here with me. The Lord will also hand Israel’s army over to the Philistines.”
20Immediately Saul fell flat on the ground. What Samuel had said filled Saul with fear. His strength was gone. He hadn’t eaten anything all that day and all that night.
21The woman went over to Saul because she saw that he was very upset. She said, “Look, I’ve obeyed you. I put my own life in danger by doing what you told me to do. 22So please listen to me. Let me give you some food. Eat it. Then you will have the strength to go on your way.”
23But he refused. He said, “I don’t want anything to eat.”
Then his men joined the woman in begging him to eat. Finally, he paid attention to them. He got up from the ground and sat on a couch.
24The woman had a fat calf at her house. She killed it at once. She got some flour. She mixed it and baked some bread that didn’t have any yeast in it. 25Then she set the food in front of Saul and his men. They ate it. That same night they got up and left.
掃羅求問巫婆
1非利士人召集大軍與以色列人交戰。亞吉對大衛說：「你應該明白，你和部下要隨我一起出戰。」 2大衛答道：「僕人願意效勞。」亞吉說：「很好！你就終生做我的護衛吧。」 3那時撒母耳已經死了，以色列舉國都為他哀悼，把他葬在他的家鄉拉瑪。當時，掃羅把所有占卜和行巫術的都逐出了以色列。 4非利士人集合起來，在書念紮營，掃羅率領以色列軍隊在基利波紮營。 5掃羅看見非利士軍隊聲勢浩大，感到膽戰心驚， 6就求問耶和華，但耶和華沒有藉著夢、烏陵或先知回答他。 7於是，掃羅命令臣僕找一個巫婆來，好求問她。臣僕在隱·多珥找到一個巫婆。
8掃羅喬裝打扮，由兩個人陪同乘夜趕到那婦人家裡，說：「請你用法術把我要求問的亡靈招上來吧。」 9婦人對他說：「你知道掃羅剷除了國內占卜的和行巫術的，你為何來陷害我，置我於死地？」 10掃羅憑耶和華向婦人起誓，說：「我憑永活的耶和華起誓，你必不會因為此事而受到懲罰。」 11婦人問道：「你想讓我招誰上來呢？」掃羅答道：「招撒母耳上來。」 12婦人看見了撒母耳，就驚叫起來，對掃羅說：「你是掃羅，你為什麼騙我呢？」 13掃羅對她說：「不用害怕，你看見什麼了？」婦人說：「我看見一個靈從地裡上來。」 14掃羅說：「他是什麼模樣？」婦人說：「是個身披長袍的老人。」掃羅知道是撒母耳，便俯伏在地，向他下拜。 15撒母耳對掃羅說：「你為什麼打擾我，招我上來呢？」掃羅答道：「我深陷困境，非利士人與我們交戰，上帝也撇棄了我，不再藉著先知或夢來回答我。因此，我只好招你上來，好告訴我該怎麼辦。」 16撒母耳說：「既然耶和華已經離棄了你，與你為敵，你為什麼還來問我？ 17耶和華應驗了祂藉著我所說的預言，祂已把你的國權奪去，交給了你的同胞大衛。 18耶和華今天這樣對待你，是因為你沒有聽從祂的吩咐，沒有把祂憎惡的亞瑪力人滅絕。 19耶和華必把你和以色列人交在非利士人手裡，明天你和你的兒子們必跟我在一起了。耶和華必把以色列的軍隊交在非利士人手裡。」
20掃羅聽了撒母耳的話，頓時嚇得渾身僵直，倒在地上，一天一夜沒有進食，毫無力氣。 21婦人到掃羅跟前，看見他驚恐萬分，就對他說：「婢女冒著生命危險服從你的命令，照你的吩咐做了。 22現在，請你聽婢女的話，讓我給你一些食物吃，你好有體力趕路。」 23掃羅不肯，說：「我不吃」。他的隨從和婦人再三勸告，他才同意了，從地上起來坐到床上。 24婦人連忙宰了家中一隻小肥牛，又和麵烤了無酵餅， 25擺在掃羅和他的隨從面前，他們吃完後，當天晚上就離開了。
