Parallel Bible results for "1 samuel 28"

1 Samuel 28

Common English Bible CEB

1 At that time, the Philistines gathered their troops for war to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, "Count on you and your soldiers marching out with me in the army."

2 "Excellent," David answered Achish. "Now you'll see for yourself what your servant can do." "Excellent," Achish replied. "I will make you my permanent bodyguard."

3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel mourned him and buried him in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned all mediums and diviners from the land.

4 The Philistines gathered their forces and advanced to camp at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel, and they camped at Gilboa.

5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was so afraid that his heart beat wildly.

6 When Saul questioned the LORD, the LORD didn't answer him—not by dreams, not by the Urim, and not by the prophets.

7 So Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who communicates with ghosts! I'll then go to her and ask by using her techniques." "There is such a medium in En-dor," his servants replied.

8 So Saul disguised himself, dressing in different clothes. Then he and two men set out, going to the woman at nighttime. "Please call up a ghost for me! Bring me the one I specify," Saul said.

9 "Listen," the woman said to him, "you know what Saul has done, how he has banned all mediums and diviners from the land. What are you doing? Trying to get me killed?"

10 But Saul promised to her by the LORD, "As surely as the LORD lives, you won't get into trouble for this."

11 So the woman said, "Who do you want me to bring up for you?" "Bring up Samuel," he said.

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed at Saul, "Why have you tricked me? You are Saul!"

13 "Don't be afraid!" the king said to her. "What do you see?" The woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up from the ground."

14 "What does he look like?" Saul asked her. "An old man is coming up," she said. "He's wrapped in a robe." Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed low out of respect, nose to the ground.

15 "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Samuel asked Saul. "I'm in deep trouble!" Saul replied. "The Philistines are at war with me, and God has turned away from me and no longer answers me by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what I should do."

16 "Why do you ask me," Samuel said, "since the LORD has turned away from you and has become your enemy?

17 The LORD has done to you exactly what he spoke through me: The LORD has ripped the kingdom out of your hands and has given it to your friend David.

18 The LORD has done this very thing to you today because you didn't listen to the LORD's voice and didn't carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites.

19 The LORD will now hand over both you and Israel to the Philistines. And come tomorrow, you and your sons will be with me! The LORD will hand Israel's army over to the Philistines."

20 Saul immediately fell full length on the ground, utterly terrified at what Samuel had said. He was weak because he hadn't eaten anything all day or night.

21 The woman approached Saul, and after seeing how scared he was, she said, "Listen, your servant has obeyed you. I risked my life and did what you told me to do.

22 Now it's your turn to listen to me, your servant. Let me give you a bit of food. Eat it, then you'll have the strength to go on your way."

23 But Saul refused. "I can't eat!" he said. But his servants and the woman urged him to do so, and so he did. He got up off the ground and sat on a couch.

24 The woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly butchered it. She took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread.

25 She served this to Saul and his servants, and they ate. They got up and left that very night.

The Message Bible MSG

1 During this time the Philistines mustered their troops to make war on Israel. Achish said to David, "You can count on this: You're marching with my troops, you and your men."

2 And David said, "Good! Now you'll see for yourself what I can do!" "Great!" said Achish. "I'm making you my personal bodyguard - for life!" Saul Prayed, but God Didn't Answer

3 Samuel was now dead. All Israel had mourned his death and buried him in Ramah, his hometown. Saul had long since cleaned out all those who held seances with the dead.

4 The Philistines had mustered their troops and camped at Shunem. Saul had assembled all Israel and camped at Gilboa.

5 But when Saul saw the Philistine troops, he shook in his boots, scared to death.

6 Saul prayed to God, but God didn't answer - neither by dream nor by sign nor by prophet.

7 So Saul ordered his officials, "Find me someone who can call up spirits so I may go and seek counsel from those spirits." His servants said, "There's a witch at Endor."

8 Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes. Then, taking two men with him, he went under the cover of night to the woman and said, "I want you to consult a ghost for me. Call up the person I name."

9 The woman said, "Just hold on now! You know what Saul did, how he swept the country clean of mediums. Why are you trying to trap me and get me killed?"

10 Saul swore solemnly, "As God lives, you won't get in any trouble for this."

11 The woman said, "So whom do you want me to bring up?" "Samuel. Bring me Samuel."

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly to Saul, "Why did you lie to me? You're Saul!"

13 The king told her, "You have nothing to fear . . . but what do you see?" "I see a spirit ascending from the underground."

14 "And what does he look like?" Saul asked. "An old man ascending, robed like a priest." Saul knew it was Samuel. He fell down, face to the ground, and worshiped.

15 Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by calling me up?" "Because I'm in deep trouble," said Saul. "The Philistines are making war against me and God has deserted me - he doesn't answer me any more, either by prophet or by dream. And so I'm calling on you to tell me what to do."

16 "Why ask me?" said Samuel. "God has turned away from you and is now on the side of your neighbor.

17 God has done exactly what he told you through me - ripped the kingdom right out of your hands and given it to your neighbor.

18 It's because you did not obey God, refused to carry out his seething judgment on Amalek, that God does to you what he is doing today.

19 Worse yet, God is turning Israel, along with you, over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And, yes, indeed, God is giving Israel's army up to the Philistines."

20 Saul dropped to the ground, felled like a tree, terrified by Samuel's words. There wasn't an ounce of strength left in him - he'd eaten nothing all day and all night.

21 The woman, realizing that he was in deep shock, said to him, "Listen to me. I did what you asked me to do, put my life in your hands in doing it, carried out your instructions to the letter.

22 It's your turn to do what I tell you: Let me give you some food. Eat it. It will give you strength so you can get on your way."

23 He refused. "I'm not eating anything."

24 The woman moved swiftly. She butchered a grain-fed calf she had, and took some flour, kneaded it, and baked some flat bread.

25 Then she served it all up for Saul and his servants. After dining handsomely, they got up from the table and were on their way that same night.