1Samuel 28
28About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. King Achish told David, "You and your men will be expected to join me in battle."H3117H6430H6908H4264H6908H6635H3898H3478H397H559H1732H3045H3045H3318H4264H5822"Very well!" David agreed. "Now you will see for yourself what we can do." Then Achish told David, "I will make you my personal bodyguard for life."H1732H559H397H3651H3045H5650H6213H397H559H1732H7760H8104H7218H31173Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.H8050H4191H3478H5594H6912H7414H5892H7586H5493H178H3049H7764The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa.H6430H6908H935H2583H7766H7586H6908H3478H6908H2583H15335When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear.H7586H7200H4264H6430H3372H3820H3966H27296He asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.H7586H7592H3068H3068H6030H2472H224H50307Saul then said to his advisers, "Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do." His advisers replied, "There is a medium at Endor."H559H7586H5650H1245H802H1172H178H3212H1875H5650H559H802H1172H178H58748So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman's home at night, accompanied by two of his men. "I have to talk to a man who has died," he said. "Will you call up his spirit for me?"H7586H2664H3847H312H899H3212H8147H582H935H802H3915H559H7080H178H5927H5599"Are you trying to get me killed?" the woman demanded. "You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?"H802H559H3045H7586H6213H3772H178H3049H776H5367H5315H419110But Saul took an oath in the name of the LORD and promised, "As surely as the LORD lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this."H7586H7650H3068H559H3068H2416H518H5771H7136H169711Finally, the woman said, "Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?" "Call up Samuel," Saul replied.H559H802H5927H559H5927H805012When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, "You've deceived me! You are Saul!"H802H7200H8050H2199H1419H6963H802H559H7586H559H7411H758613"Don't be afraid!" the king told her. "What do you see?" "I see a god coming up out of the earth," she said.H4428H559H3372H7200H802H559H7586H7200H430H5927H77614"What does he look like?" Saul asked. "He is an old man wrapped in a robe," she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.H559H8389H559H2205H376H5927H5844H4598H7586H3045H8050H6915H639H776H781215"Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?" Samuel asked Saul. "Because I am in deep trouble," Saul replied. "The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won't reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do."H8050H559H7586H7264H5927H7586H559H3966H6887H6430H3898H430H5493H6030H3027H5030H2472H7121H3045H621316But Samuel replied, "Why ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?H559H8050H7592H3068H5493H614517The LORD has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.H3068H6213H1696H3027H3068H7167H4467H3027H5414H7453H173218The LORD has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites.H834H8085H6963H3068H6213H2740H639H6002H3068H6213H1697H311719What's more, the LORD will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The LORD will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat."H3068H5414H3478H3027H6430H4279H1121H3068H5414H4264H3478H3027H643020Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel's words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.H7586H5307H4116H4393H6967H776H3966H3372H1697H8050H3581H398H3899H3117H391521When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, "Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life.H802H935H7586H7200H3966H926H559H8198H8085H6963H7760H5315H3709H8085H1697H169622Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back."H8085H6963H8198H7760H6595H3899H6440H398H3581H3212H187023But Saul refused to eat anything. Then his advisers joined the woman in urging him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch.H3985H559H398H5650H802H6555H8085H6963H6965H776H3427H429624The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it into dough and baked unleavened bread.H802H4770H5695H1004H4116H2076H3947H7058H3888H644H468225She brought the meal to Saul and his advisers, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night.H5066H6440H7586H6440H5650H398H6965H3212H3915
1Samuel 29
29The entire Philistine army now mobilized at Aphek, and the Israelites camped at the spring in Jezreel.H6430H6908H4264H663H3478H2583H5869H31572As the Philistine rulers were leading out their troops in groups of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched at the rear with King Achish.H5633H6430H5674H3967H505H1732H582H5674H314H3973But the Philistine commanders demanded, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" And Achish told them, "This is David, the servant of King Saul of Israel. He's been with me for years, and I've never found a single fault in him from the day he arrived until today."H559H8269H6430H5680H397H559H8269H6430H1732H5650H7586H4428H3478H3117H8141H4672H3972H3117H5307H31174But the Philistine commanders were angry. "Send him back to the town you've given him!" they demanded. "He can't go into the battle with us. What if he turns against us in battle and becomes our adversary? Is there any better way for him to reconcile himself with his master than by handing our heads over to him?H8269H6430H7107H8269H6430H559H7725H376H7725H7725H4725H6485H3381H4421H4421H7854H7521H113H7218H5825Isn't this the same David about whom the women of Israel sing in their dances, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"H1732H6030H4246H559H7586H5221H505H1732H72336So Achish finally summoned David and said to him, "I swear by the LORD that you have been a trustworthy ally. I think you should go with me into battle, for I've never found a single flaw in you from the day you arrived until today. But the other Philistine rulers won't hear of it.H397H7121H1732H559H3068H2416H3477H3318H935H4264H2896H5869H4672H7451H3117H935H3117H5633H2896H58697Please don't upset them, but go back quietly."H7725H3212H7965H6213H7451H5869H5633H64308"What have I done to deserve this treatment?" David demanded. "What have you ever found in your servant, that I can't go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?"H1732H559H397H6213H4672H5650H3117H6440H3117H935H3898H341H113H44289But Achish insisted, "As far as I'm concerned, you're as perfect as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders are afraid to have you with them in the battle.H397H6030H559H1732H3045H2896H5869H4397H430H8269H6430H559H5927H442110Now get up early in the morning, and leave with your men as soon as it gets light."H7925H1242H113H5650H935H7925H1242H215H321211So David and his men headed back into the land of the Philistines, while the Philistine army went on to Jezreel.H1732H582H7925H3212H1242H7725H776H6430H6430H5927H3157
1Samuel 30
30Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground.H1732H582H935H6860H7992H3117H6003H6584H5045H6860H5221H6860H8313H7842They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.H802H7617H4191H376H1419H6996H5090H3212H18703When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families,H1732H582H935H5892H8313H784H802H1121H1323H76174they wept until they could weep no more.H1732H5971H5375H6963H1058H3581H10585David's two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured.H1732H8147H802H7617H293H3159H26H802H5037H37616David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God.H1732H3966H3334H5971H559H5619H5315H5971H4843H376H1121H1323H1732H2388H3068H4307Then he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring me the ephod!" So Abiathar brought it.H1732H559H54H3548H288H1121H5066H646H54H5066H646H17328Then David asked the LORD, "Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?" And the LORD told him, "Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!"H1732H7592H3068H559H7291H310H1416H5381H559H7291H5381H5381H5337H53379So David and his 600 men set out, and they came to the brook Besor.H1732H3212H8337H3967H376H935H5158H1308H3498H597510But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men.H1732H7291H702H3967H376H3967H5975H6296H5674H5158H130811Along the way they found an Egyptian man in a field and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink.H4672H376H4713H7704H3947H1732H5414H3899H398H8248H432512They also gave him part of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins, for he hadn't had anything to eat or drink for three days and nights. Before long his strength returned.H5414H6400H1690H8147H6778H398H7307H7725H398H3899H8354H4325H7969H3117H7969H391513"To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?" David asked him. "I am an Egyptian—the slave of an Amalekite," he replied. "My master abandoned me three days ago because I was sick.H1732H559H559H5288H4713H5650H376H6003H113H5800H7969H3117H247014We were on our way back from raiding the Kerethites in the Negev, the territory of Judah, and the land of Caleb, and we had just burned Ziklag."H6584H5045H3774H3063H5045H3612H8313H6860H78415"Will you lead me to this band of raiders?" David asked. The young man replied, "If you take an oath in God's name that you will not kill me or give me back to my master, then I will guide you to them."H1732H559H3381H1416H559H7650H430H4191H518H5462H3027H113H3381H141616So he led David to them, and they found the Amalekites spread out across the fields, eating and drinking and dancing with joy because of the vast amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah.H3381H5203H6440H776H398H8354H2287H1419H7998H3947H776H6430H776H306317David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels.H1732H5221H5399H6153H4283H4422H376H702H3967H5288H376H7392H1581H512718David got back everything the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued his two wives.H1732H5337H6002H3947H1732H5337H8147H80219Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back.H5737H4480H6996H1419H1121H1323H7998H3947H1732H772520He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock. "This plunder belongs to David!" they said.H1732H3947H6629H1241H5090H6440H1931H4735H559H1732H799821Then David returned to the brook Besor and met up with the 200 men who had been left behind because they were too exhausted to go with him. They went out to meet David and his men, and David greeted them joyfully.H1732H935H3967H582H6296H3212H310H1732H3427H5158H1308H3318H7125H1732H7125H5971H1732H5066H5971H7592H796522But some evil troublemakers among David's men said, "They didn't go with us, so they can't have any of the plunder we recovered. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone."H6030H7451H376H1100H582H1980H1732H559H1980H5414H7998H5337H376H802H1121H5090H321223But David said, "No, my brothers! Don't be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us.H559H1732H6213H251H3068H5414H8104H5414H1416H935H302724Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment."H8085H1697H2506H3381H3381H4421H2506H3427H3627H2505H316225From then on David made this a decree and regulation for Israel, and it is still followed today.H3117H4605H7760H2706H4941H3478H311726When he arrived at Ziklag, David sent part of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends. "Here is a present for you, taken from the LORD's enemies," he said.H1732H935H6860H7971H7998H2205H3063H7453H559H1293H7998H341H306827The gifts were sent to the people of the following towns David had visited: Bethel, Ramoth-negev, Jattir,H834H1008H5045H7418H349228Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa,H6177H8224H85129Racal, the towns of the Jerahmeelites, the towns of the Kenites,H7403H5892H3397H5892H701730Hormah, Bor-ashan, Athach,H2767H3565H626931Hebron, and all the other places David and his men had visited.H2275H4725H1732H582H1980
1Samuel 31
31Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa.H6430H3898H3478H582H3478H5127H6440H6430H5307H2491H2022H15332The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua.H6430H1692H7586H1121H6430H5221H3083H41H4444H7586H11213The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely.H4421H3513H7586H3384H582H7198H4672H3966H2342H3384H582H71984Saul groaned to his armor bearer, "Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me." But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.H559H7586H5375H3627H8025H2719H1856H6189H935H1856H5953H5375H3627H14H3966H3372H7586H3947H2719H53075When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king.H5375H3627H7200H7586H4191H5307H2719H41916So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day.H7586H4191H7969H1121H5375H3627H582H3117H31627When the Israelites on the other side of the Jezreel Valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns.H582H3478H5676H6010H5676H3383H7200H582H3478H5127H7586H1121H4191H5800H5892H5127H6430H935H34278The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa.H4283H6430H935H6584H2491H4672H7586H7969H1121H5307H2022H15339So they cut off Saul's head and stripped off his armor. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul's death in their pagan temple and to the people throughout the land of Philistia.H3772H7218H6584H3627H7971H776H6430H5439H1319H1004H6091H597110They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of the city of Beth-shan.H7760H3627H1004H6252H1045H8628H1472H2346H105211But when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,H3427H3003H1568H8085H6430H6213H758612all their mighty warriors traveled through the night to Beth-shan and took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall. They brought them to Jabesh, where they burned the bodies.H2428H376H381H6965H3212H3915H3947H1472H7586H1472H1121H2346H1052H935H3003H831313Then they took their bones and buried them beneath the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.H3947H6106H6912H815H3003H6684H7651H3117
Dublin, OH
or by the prophets.H7586
