Si Saul at ang Mangkukulam sa Endor
1Nang mga panahong iyon, tinipon ng mga Filisteo ang mga sundalo nila at naghanda sa pakikipaglaban sa mga Israelita. Sinabi ni Akish kay David, “Kailangang sumama ka at ang mga tauhan mo sa amin para makipaglaban.” 2Sinabi ni David, “Magaling! Makikita ninyo ngayon kung ano ang magagawa ko, na inyong lingkod.” Sumagot si Akish, “Mabuti! Gagawin kitang personal na tagapagbantay ko habang buhay.”
3Patay na noon si Samuel. Nang mamatay siya nalungkot at nagluksa ang buong Israel sa kanya, at inilibing siya sa kanyang bayan sa Rama. At pinaalis na ni Saul ang mga espiritista sa Israel.
4Nagkampo ang mga Filisteo sa Shunem, at si Saul naman at ang buong hukbo ng Israel ay sa Gilboa. 5Nang makita ni Saul ang mga sundalo ng mga Filisteo, pinagharian siya ng matinding takot. 6Nagtanong siya sa Panginoon kung ano ang nararapat niyang gawin. Pero hindi siya sinagot ng Panginoon kahit sa pamamagitan ng panaginip, o sa mga propeta, o kahit sa anumang paraan. 7Pagkatapos, sinabi ni Saul sa kanyang alipin, “Ihanap mo ako ng babaeng espiritista na maaari kong pagtanungan.” Sumagot ang kanyang alipin, “Mayroon po sa Endor.”
8Kaya nagpanggap si Saul sa pamamagitan ng pagsusuot ng ordinaryong damit sa halip na ang magara niyang damit. Kinagabihan, pinuntahan niya ang babae kasama ang dalawa niyang tauhan. Pagdating nila, sinabi ni Saul sa babae, “Gusto kong makipag-usap sa kaluluwa ng isang tao.” 9Sinabi ng babae sa kanya, “Ano, gusto mo bang mamatay ako? Alam mo naman siguro kung ano ang ginawa ni Saul. Pinaalis niya sa Israel ang lahat ng espiritista at ang mga manghuhula. Huwag mo nang ilagay sa panganib ang buhay ko.” 10Sumumpa si Saul sa kanya sa pangalan ng buhay na Panginoon na hindi siya mapaparusahan sa gagawin niya. 11Nang bandang huli, sinabi ng babae, “Sino ang kaluluwang gusto mong kausapin?” Sinabi ni Saul, “Tawagin mo si Samuel.”
12Kaya tinawag ng babae si Samuel, at nang makita ng babae si Samuel, sumigaw siya nang malakas at sinabi niya kay Saul, “Niloko nʼyo po ako! Kayo po si Saul!” 13Sinabi ni Saul, “Huwag kang matakot. Ano ba ang nakita mo?” Sumagot ang babae, “Nakita ko po ang isang kaluluwa28:13 kaluluwa: sa Hebreo, dios. na lumalabas galing sa lupa.” 14Nagtanong si Saul, “Ano ba ang itsura niya?” Sumagot siya, “Isa pong matandang lalaki na nakabalabal.” Natiyak ni Saul na si Samuel iyon kaya nagpatirapa siya bilang paggalang sa kanya. 15Sinabi ni Samuel kay Saul, “Bakit mo ako ginagambala sa pamamagitan ng pagtawag sa akin?” Sumagot si Saul, “Mayroon akong malaking problema. Sinasalakay kami ng mga Filisteo at tinalikuran na ako ng Dios. Hindi na siya sumasagot sa pamamagitan man ng panaginip o ng mga propeta. Ipinatawag kita para sabihin mo sa akin kung ano ang dapat kong gawin.” 16Sinabi ni Samuel, “Bakit ako ang tinatanong mo? Hindi baʼt tinalikuran ka na ng Panginoon at naging kaaway mo siya? 17Tinupad ng Panginoon ang sinabi niya sa pamamagitan ko. Kinuha niya sa iyo ang kaharian ng Israel at ibinigay sa kapwa mo Israelita na si David. 18Ginawa ito ng Panginoon sa iyo ngayon dahil hindi mo sinunod ang utos niyang iparanas ang kanyang galit sa lahat ng Amalekita. 19Bukas, ikaw at ang mga Israelita ay ibibigay ng Panginoon sa mga Filisteo, at makakasama kita at ang iyong mga anak na lalaki sa lugar ng mga patay.” 20Nang marinig ito ni Saul, natumba siya at nasubsob sa lupa. Matindi ang takot niya sa sinabi ni Samuel. Hinang-hina rin siya sa gutom dahil hindi siya kumain buong araw at gabi.
21Nilapitan ng babae si Saul. At nang makita niya na takot na takot si Saul, sinabi niya, “Mahal na Hari, tinupad ko na po ang ipinag-uutos ninyo sa akin kahit na alam kong nasa panganib ang buhay ko. 22Nakikiusap po akong pakinggan ninyo ang inyong lingkod. Bibigyan ko kayo ng pagkain para manumbalik ang inyong lakas at makapagpatuloy kayo sa inyong paglalakbay.” 23Pero tumangging kumain si Saul. Tinulungan ng mga tauhan ni Saul ang babae sa pagpilit sa kanya para kumain, at pumayag na rin siya. Tumayo siya mula sa lupa at naupo sa higaan. 24Kinatay agad ng babae ang pinapataba niyang guya, nagmasa ng harina, at nagluto ng tinapay na walang pampaalsa. 25Inihain niya ang mga ito kay Saul at sa mga tauhan nito, at kumain sila. Pagkatapos, umalis na rin sila nang gabing iyon.
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.
