撒母耳記上 28
1 那時培肋舍特人調集軍隊要進攻以色列人，阿基士對達味說：「你該知道你和你的人應協助我作戰」。
Some time later, the people of Philistia gathered their army to attack the Israelis [again]. King Achish told David, “I am expecting that you and your men will join with my men to attack [the Israelis].”
2 達味回答阿基士說：「好! 你就要知道你的僕人要作什麼」。阿基士對達味說：「那麼，我就立你常作我的護衛」。
David replied, “[We will go with you, and then] you will see for yourself what we can do!” Achish said, “Okay, I will appoint you to be my bodyguard permanently.”
3 那時撒慕已死，全以色列人舉喪哀悼他．把他葬在他的故鄉辣瑪。撒烏耳也早已將招魂的和行巫術的人驅逐出境。
[While Samuel was still alive, Saul did many things that pleased Yahweh. One of the good things that] Saul [did was to] expel from Israel all the people who were fortune-tellers or who talked to the spirits of dead people. But Samuel had died, and all the Israeli people had mourned for him. Then they had buried him in Ramah, his hometown. [After that, Saul did not try to please Yahweh any more].
4 培肋舍特人調齊以後，來到叔能紮營。
The army of Philistia gathered and set up their tents at Shunem [city, in the north of Israel]. Saul gathered the Israeli army and set up their tents at Gilboa [in the eastern part of the same valley].
5 撒烏耳看見培肋舍特人的軍營就害怕起來，心中非常恐慌，
When Saul saw the army of Philistia, he became so afraid that his heart pounded/shook.
6 遂去求問上主，但上主沒有藉夢境，也沒有藉「烏陵」，也沒有藉先知答覆他。
He prayed to Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him. Yahweh did not [tell Saul what he should do by] giving him a dream, or by [having the priest throw] the marked stones [that were in his sacred vest], or by [giving a message about Saul to] any prophet.
7 撒烏耳便對臣僕說：「你們給我找個召魂的女巫，我頊到她那裏去求問」。他的臣僕回答他說：「現今在恩多爾有個招魂的女巫」。
Then Saul said to his servants, “Find for me a woman who talks to the spirits of dead people, in order that I can ask her [what will happen].” His servants replied, “There is a woman in Endor [town] who does that.”
8 撒烏耳就改裝易服，帶了兩個人作伴，夜間來見那女人，對她說：「求妳用招魂的法術給我占卜，將向妳指出的人給我招上來」。
So Saul [took off the clothes that showed that he was the king, and he] put on ordinary clothes (to disguise himself/so that people would not recognize who he was). Then he and two of his men went during the night to talk to that woman. Saul said to her, “I want you to talk to a spirit [of someone who has died]. Cause to appear the person whose name I will [give to you].”
9 那女人回答說：「啊! 你知道撒慕爾作了什麼，他已經將國內招魂和行巫術的人剷除，為什麼你來陷陷阱害我的性命，叫我死呢﹖。
But the woman replied, “You surely know what Saul has done. He expelled from this land all the people who talk to spirits of dead people and all fortune-tellers. I think that you are trying to trap me, in order that I will be executed [for doing something that is not permitted].”
10 撒烏耳就指著上主對她發誓說：「上主永在! 為這事妳決不會受害」。
Saul replied, solemnly asking Yahweh to listen to what he was saying, “Just as surely as Yahweh lives, you will not be punished for doing this.”
11 那女人問說：「要我給你招誰上來﹖」他答說：「妳給我招撒烏耳上來」。
Then the woman said, “Whom do you want me to cause to appear?” Saul replied, “Cause Samuel to appear.”
12 那女人一看見撒慕爾就大喊一聲，對撒烏耳說：「你為什麼哄騙我﹖你就是撒烏耳! 」
[So] the woman [did that. But] when she saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, “You have tricked me [RHQ]! You are Saul! [You will execute me for doing this]!”
13 王對她說：「不要怕! 妳究竟看見了什麼﹖」那女人回答撒烏耳說：「我看見神由地中上來」。
Saul said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a god/spirit coming up out of the ground.”
14 撒烏耳問說：「什麼形狀﹖」她答說：「上來了一位老人，身披外氅」。撒烏耳便知道這是撒慕爾，遂俯首至地下拜。
Saul said, “What does he look like?” The woman replied, “An old man wearing a robe is appearing.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel. So he bowed down with his face touching the ground.
15 撒慕爾對撒烏耳說：「為什麼你擾亂我，叫我上來﹖」撒烏耳答說：「我很是苦痛。培肋舍特人攻擊我，上主已遠離我，又不藉先知，也不藉夢境答覆我，所以我招你上來，指教我該作什麼」。
Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you bothered/disturbed me by causing me to appear?” Saul said, “I am very worried. The army of Philistia is about to attack my army, and God has abandoned me. He does not answer my questions any more. He does not give me dreams [to tell me what to do] or give messages to prophets [to tell me what to do]. That is the reason that I came to see you. So you tell me what I should do!”
16 撒慕爾說：「上主既已離開了你，你為什麼還來問我﹖
Samuel said, “Yahweh has abandoned you and has become your enemy. So why do you ask me [what you should do]? [RHQ]
17 上主對你實踐了衪藉我所說的話：上主已由你手中奪去王權，賜給了你的近人達味；
He has done what he told me [previously] that he would do to you. He has torn the kingdom away from you, and he is giving it to someone who is another Israeli—David.
18 因為你沒有聽從上主的話，沒有執行衪對阿瑪肋克所懷的盛怒，為此，上主今天這樣對待了你。
You did not obey Yahweh. Yahweh was very angry with the Amalek people-group. You did not [kill all of their animals], with the result that you did not show that he was very angry with them. That is the reason that he has done this to you today.
19 上主還要把以色列和你一起交在培肋舍特人手中；明日你和你的兒子要同我在一起；並且上主也要把以色列軍隊交在培肋舍特人手中」。
Yahweh will enable the Philistia army to defeat you and all the other Israeli soldiers. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [in the place where spirits of dead people are]. Yahweh will cause the whole Israeli army to be defeated by the Philistia army.” [And after Samuel said that, he disappeared].
20 撒烏耳一聽撒慕爾的話，非常恐懼，忽然跌倒在地；又因他一日一夜沒有吃喝，一點力氣也沒有了。
Saul immediately fell flat on the ground. He was so afraid because of what Samuel had said that he became paralyzed. He was also very weak because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.
21 那女人就走到撒烏耳跟前，看見他很是驚慌，就對他說：「看，你的婢女聽了你的話，不顧性命，聽從了你給我說的話。
The woman saw that he was extremely worried/terrified. She said to him, “Listen to me! I have done what you requested me to do. I could be executed for doing that.
22 現今你也該聽從你婢女的話：我給你拿點食物來，你吃了，好有力氣走路」。
So now please pay attention to what I say. Allow me to give you some food, in order that you will [eat it and] get enough strength to go back [to your army].”
23 他卻拒絕說：「我不吃」。但是他的臣僕和那女人都勉強他，他才聽從了他們的話，從地上起來，坐在床上。
But Saul refused. He said, “No, I will not eat anything.” Then Saul’s servants also urged him [to eat something], and finally he heeded what they said. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
24 那女人在家裏有頭肥牛，急忙宰了，又把麵調好，烤成無酵餅，
The woman had a fat calf close to her house. She quickly slaughtered it [and cooked it]. She took some flour and mixed it [with olive oil], and baked it without putting in any yeast.
25 擺在撒烏耳和他臣僕面前；他們吃了以後，當夜就起身走了。
She placed the food in front of Saul and his servants, and they ate some of it. Then that night they got up and left.
