Achish putteth confidence in David.

1 ¶ And it came to pass² in those² days,º that the Philistinesº gathered¹ª their armies¹² together¹ª²² for warfare,º to fightºª with Israel.º And Achishº saidºª unto² David,º Know¹ª thou assuredly,ºª that² thou shalt go outºª with² me to battle,º thou² and thy men.¹² 2 And Davidº saidºª to² Achish,º Surelyº thou² shalt knowºª² what² thy servantº can do.ºª And Achishº saidºª to² David,º Therefore² will I makeºª thee keeperºª of mine headº for ever.º²

Saul having destroyed the witches,

3 ¶ Now Samuelº was dead,ºª and all² Israelº had lamentedºª him, and buriedºª him in Ramah,º even in his own city.º And Saulº had put awayºª those that had familiar spirits,º and the wizards,º out of the land.º²

and now in his fear forsaken by God,

4 And the Philistinesº gathered themselves together,ºª and cameºª and pitchedºª in Shunem:º and Saulº gathered¹ª all Israel¹ together,ºª²²² and they pitchedºª in Gilboa.º 5 And when Saulº sawºª² the hostº of the Philistines,º he was afraid,ºª and his heartº greatlyº trembled.ºª 6 And when Saulº enquiredºª of the LORD,º the LORDº answeredºª him not,² neither² by dreams,º nor² by Urim,º nor² by prophets.º

seeketh a witch.

7 ¶ Then saidºª Saulº unto his servants,º Seekºª me a womanº that hathº a familiar spirit,º that I may go¹ª² to² her, and enquireºª of her. And his servantsº saidºª to² him, Behold,² [there is] a womanº that hathº a familiar spiritº at Endor.º 8 And Saulº disguised¹ª himself,² and put onºª otherº raiment,º and he² went,¹ª² and twoº men¹² with² him, and they cameºª to² the womanº by night:º and he said,ºª I pray thee,² divineºª unto me by the familiar spirit,º and bring² me [him] up,¹ª² whom² I shall nameºª unto² thee.

The witch, encouraged by Saul, raiseth up Samuel.

9 And the womanº saidºª unto² him, Behold,² thou² knowestºª² what² Saulº hath done,ºª how² he hath cut offºª² those that have familiar spirits,º and the wizards,º out of² the land:º wherefore² then layest thou² a snareºª for my life,º to cause me to die?ºª 10 And Saulº swareºª to her by the LORD,º saying,ºª [As] the LORDº liveth,º there shall¹ no² punishmentº happenºª to thee for this² thing.º 11 Then saidºª the woman,º² Whom² shall I bring upºª unto thee? And he said,ºª Bring me upºª² Samuel.º 12 And when the womanº sawºª² Samuel,º she criedºª with a loudº voice:º and the womanº spakeºª to² Saul,º saying,ºª Why² hast thou deceivedºª me? for thou² [art] Saul.º 13 And the kingº saidºª unto her, Be not² afraid:ºª for² what² sawestºª thou? And the womanº saidºª unto² Saul,º I sawºª godsº ascendingºª out of² the earth.º 14 And he saidºª unto her, What² formº [is] he of? And she said,ºª An oldº manº cometh up;ºª and he² [is] coveredºª with a mantle.º And Saulº perceivedºª that² it [was] Samuel,º and he² stoopedºª with [his] faceº to the ground,º and bowed¹ª himself.²

Saul, hearing his ruin, fainteth.

15 ¶ And Samuelº saidºª to² Saul,º Why² hast thou disquietedºª me, to bring me up?ºª² And Saulº answered,ºª I am soreº distressed;ºª for the Philistinesº make warºª against me, and Godº is departedºª from²² me, and answerethºª me no² more,² neither² byº prophets,º nor² by dreams:º therefore I have calledºª thee, that thou mayest make knownºª unto me what² I shall do.ºª 16 Then saidºª Samuel,º Wherefore² then dost thou askºª of me, seeing the LORDº is departedºª from²² thee, and is become² thine enemy?º 17 And the LORDº hath doneºª to him, as² he spakeºª by² me:¹ for the LORDº hath rentºª² the kingdomº out of thine hand,º² and givenºª it to thy neighbour,º [even] to David:º 18 Becauseº thou obeyedstºª not² the voiceº of the LORD,º nor² executedstºª his fierceº wrathº upon Amalek,º therefore²² hath the LORDº doneºª this² thingº unto thee this² day.º 19 Moreover² the LORDº will also deliverºª² Israelº with² thee into the handº of the Philistines:º and to morrowº [shalt] thou² and thy sonsº [be] with² me: the LORDº also² shall deliverºª² the hostº of Israelº into the handº of the Philistines.º 20 Then Saulº fellºª straightwayºª all¹ alongº² on the earth,º and was soreº afraid,ºª because of the wordsº² of Samuel:º and² there was² no² strengthº in him; for² he had eatenºª no² breadº all² the day,º nor all² the night.º

The woman with his servants refresh him with meat.

21 ¶ And the womanº cameºª unto² Saul,º and sawºª that² he was soreº troubled,ºª and saidºª unto² him, Behold,² thine handmaidº hath obeyedºª thy voice,º and I have putºª my lifeº in my hand,º and have hearkenedºª unto² thy wordsº which² thou spakestºª unto² me. 22 Now² therefore, I pray thee,² hearkenºª thou² also² unto the voiceº of thine handmaid,º and let me setºª a morselº of breadº beforeº thee; and eat,ºª that thou mayest have² strength,º when² thou goest¹ª² on thy way.º 23 But he refused,ºª and said,ºª I will not² eat.ºª But his servants,º together with² the woman,º compelledºª him; and he hearkenedºª unto their voice.º So he aroseºª from the earth,º² and satºª upon² the bed.º 24 And the womanº had a fatº calfº in the house;º and she hasted,ºª and killedºª it, and tookºª flour,º and kneadedºª [it], and did bakeºª unleavened breadº thereof: 25 And she broughtºª [it] beforeº Saul,º and beforeº his servants;º and they did eat.ºª Then they rose up,ºª and went away¹ª² that² night.º