1 Samuel 28

¹ And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David,Though it was a great grief to David to fight against the people of God, yet such was his infirmity, he did not dare deny him.Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.

² And Dauid said to Achish, Surely thou shalt knowe, what thy seruant can doe; Achish sayde to Dauid, Surely I will make thee keeper of mine head for euer.

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul hadAccording to the commandment of God, (Exo_22:18; Deu_18:10-11).put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

⁴ Then the Philistims assembled themselues, and came, and pitched in Shunem: and Saul assembled all Israel, and they pitched in Gilboa.

⁵ And when Saul saw the hoste of the Philistims, he was afraid, & his heart was sore astonied.

⁶ And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor byMeaning, the high priest, (Exo_28:30).Urim, nor by prophets.

⁷ Then saide Saul vnto his seruants, Seeke me a woman that hath a familiar spirite, that I may goe to her, and aske of her; his seruants said to him, Beholde, there is a woman at En-dor that hath a familiar spirit.

⁸ And SaulHe does not seek God in his misery, but is led by Satan to unlawful means, which in his conscience he condemns.disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me [him] up, whom I shall name unto thee.

⁹ And the woman saide vnto him, Beholde, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the sorcerers, and the southsayers out of the land: wherefore then seekest thou to take me in a snare to cause me to die?

¹⁰ And Saul sware to her by the Lorde, saying, As the Lord liueth, no harme shall come to thee for this thing.

¹¹ Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me upHe speaks according to his gross ignorance not considering the state of the saints after this life, and how Satan has no power over them.Samuel.

¹² And when the woman sawe Samuel, she cryed with a loude voyce, and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceiued me? for thou art Saul.

¹³ And the King said vnto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said vnto Saul, I saw gods ascending vp out of the earth.

¹⁴ And he said unto her, What form [is] he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he [is] covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it [was]To his imagination, even though it was Satan, who to blind his eyes took on him the form of Samuel, as he can do of an angel of light.Samuel, and he stooped with [his] face to the ground, and bowed himself.

¹⁵ And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me vp? Then Saul answered, I am in great distresse: for the Philistims make warre against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by Prophetes, neither by dreames: therefore I haue called thee, that thou mayest tell me, what I shall doe.

¹⁶ Then said Samuel, Wherefore then doest thou aske of me, seeing the Lord is gone from thee, and is thine enemie?

¹⁷ And the LORD hath done toThat is, to David.him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, [even] to David:

¹⁸ Because thou obeyedst not the voyce of the Lorde, nor executedst his fierce wrath vpon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lorde done this vnto thee this day.

¹⁹ Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines:You will die, (1Sa_31:6).and to morrow [shalt] thou and thy sons [be] with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

²⁰ Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was soreThe wicked when they hear God's judgments, tremble and despair, but cannot seek for mercy by repentance.afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

²¹ And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and II have ventured my life.have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

²² Now therefore, I pray thee, hearke thou also vnto ye voyce of thine handmaid, & let me set a morsell of bread before thee, that thou mayest eat and get thee strength, and go on thy iourney.

²³ But he refused, and said, I will not eate: but his seruants and the woman together compelled him, and he obeyed their voyce: so he arose from the earth, and sate on the bed.

²⁴ And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded [it], and did bakeBecause it required haste.unleavened bread thereof:

²⁵ Then she brought them before Saul, and before his seruants: and when they had eaten, they stoode, and went away the same night.