< 1 Samuel 28 >

1 Now in those days the Philistines gathered their forces for warfare against Israel. So Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men are to go out to battle with me.”
וַֽיְהִי בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וַיִּקְבְּצוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת־מַֽחֲנֵיהֶם לַצָּבָא לְהִלָּחֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אָכִישׁ אֶל־דָּוִד יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי אִתִּי תֵּצֵא בַֽמַּחֲנֶה אַתָּה וַאֲנָשֶֽׁיךָ׃
2 David replied, “Then you will come to know what your servant can do.” “Very well,” said Achish. “I will make you my bodyguard for life.”
וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל־אָכִישׁ לָכֵן אַתָּה תֵדַע אֵת אֲשֶֽׁר־יַעֲשֶׂה עַבְדֶּךָ וַיֹּאמֶר אָכִישׁ אֶל־דָּוִד לָכֵן שֹׁמֵר לְרֹאשִׁי אֲשִֽׂימְךָ כׇּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃
3 Now by this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.
וּשְׁמוּאֵל מֵת וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־לוֹ כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בָרָמָה וּבְעִירוֹ וְשָׁאוּל הֵסִיר הָאֹבוֹת וְאֶת־הַיִּדְּעֹנִים מֵהָאָֽרֶץ׃
4 The Philistines came together and camped at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and camped at Gilboa.
וַיִּקָּבְצוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּחֲנוּ בְשׁוּנֵם וַיִּקְבֹּץ שָׁאוּל אֶת־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַֽיַּחֲנוּ בַּגִּלְבֹּֽעַ׃
5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid and trembled violently.
וַיַּרְא שָׁאוּל אֶת־מַחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּרָא וַיֶּחֱרַד לִבּוֹ מְאֹֽד׃
6 He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.
וַיִּשְׁאַל שָׁאוּל בַּיהֹוָה וְלֹא עָנָהוּ יְהֹוָה גַּם בַּחֲלֹמוֹת גַּם בָּאוּרִים גַּם בַּנְּבִיאִֽם׃
7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I can go and consult her.” “There is a medium at Endor,” his servants replied.
וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל לַעֲבָדָיו בַּקְּשׁוּ־לִי אֵשֶׁת בַּעֲלַת־אוֹב וְאֵלְכָה אֵלֶיהָ וְאֶדְרְשָׁה־בָּהּ וַיֹּאמְרוּ עֲבָדָיו אֵלָיו הִנֵּה אֵשֶׁת בַּעֲלַת־אוֹב בְּעֵין דּֽוֹר׃
8 So Saul disguised himself by putting on different clothes, and he set out with two of his men. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said, “Consult a spirit for me. Bring up for me the one I name.”
וַיִּתְחַפֵּשׂ שָׁאוּל וַיִּלְבַּשׁ בְּגָדִים אֲחֵרִים וַיֵּלֶךְ הוּא וּשְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים עִמּוֹ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה לָיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר (קסומי) [קָסֳמִי־]נָא לִי בָּאוֹב וְהַעֲלִי לִי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־אֹמַר אֵלָֽיִךְ׃
9 But the woman replied, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why have you set a trap to get me killed?”
וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה אֵלָיו הִנֵּה אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה שָׁאוּל אֲשֶׁר הִכְרִית אֶת־הָאֹבוֹת וְאֶת־הַיִּדְּעֹנִי מִן־הָאָרֶץ וְלָמָה אַתָּה מִתְנַקֵּשׁ בְּנַפְשִׁי לַהֲמִיתֵֽנִי׃
10 Then Saul swore to her by the LORD: “As surely as the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this.”
וַיִּשָּׁבַֽע לָהּ שָׁאוּל בַּיהֹוָה לֵאמֹר חַי־יְהֹוָה אִֽם־יִקְּרֵךְ עָוֺן בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּֽה׃
11 “Whom shall I bring up for you?” the woman asked. “Bring up Samuel,” he replied.
וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה אֶת־מִי אַעֲלֶה־לָּךְ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶת־שְׁמוּאֵל הַֽעֲלִי־לִֽי׃
12 But when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out in a loud voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”
וַתֵּרֶא הָאִשָּׁה אֶת־שְׁמוּאֵל וַתִּזְעַק בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה אֶל־שָׁאוּל ׀ לֵאמֹר לָמָּה רִמִּיתָנִי וְאַתָּה שָׁאֽוּל׃
13 “Do not be afraid,” the king replied. “What do you see?” “I see a god coming up out of the earth,” the woman answered.
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ אַל־תִּֽירְאִי כִּי מָה רָאִית וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה אֶל־שָׁאוּל אֱלֹהִים רָאִיתִי עֹלִים מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
14 “What does he look like?” asked Saul. “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “And he is wearing a robe.” So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed facedown in reverence.
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַֽה־תׇּאֳרוֹ וַתֹּאמֶר אִישׁ זָקֵן עֹלֶה וְהוּא עֹטֶה מְעִיל וַיֵּדַע שָׁאוּל כִּֽי־שְׁמוּאֵל הוּא וַיִּקֹּד אַפַּיִם אַרְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃
15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am deeply distressed,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”
וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־שָׁאוּל לָמָּה הִרְגַּזְתַּנִי לְהַעֲלוֹת אֹתִי וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל צַר־לִי מְאֹד וּפְלִשְׁתִּים ׀ נִלְחָמִים בִּי וֵאלֹהִים סָר מֵֽעָלַי וְלֹא־עָנָנִי עוֹד גַּם בְּיַֽד־הַנְּבִיאִים גַּם־בַּחֲלֹמוֹת וָאֶקְרָאֶה לְךָ לְהוֹדִיעֵנִי מָה אֶעֱשֶֽׂה׃
16 “Why do you consult me,” asked Samuel, “since the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy?
וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל וְלָמָּה תִּשְׁאָלֵנִי וַיהֹוָה סָר מֵעָלֶיךָ וַיְהִי עָרֶֽךָ׃
17 He has done exactly what He spoke through me: The LORD has torn the kingship out of your hand and given it to your neighbor David.
וַיַּעַשׂ יְהֹוָה לוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיָדִי וַיִּקְרַע יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה מִיָּדֶךָ וַֽיִּתְּנָהּ לְרֵעֲךָ לְדָוִֽד׃
18 Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out His burning anger against Amalek, the LORD has done this to you today.
כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא־שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקוֹל יְהֹוָה וְלֹֽא־עָשִׂיתָ חֲרוֹן־אַפּוֹ בַּעֲמָלֵק עַל־כֵּן הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה עָשָֽׂה־לְךָ יְהֹוָה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
19 Moreover, the LORD will deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And the LORD will deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”
וְיִתֵּן יְהֹוָה גַּם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל עִמְּךָ בְּיַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּים וּמָחָר אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ עִמִּי גַּם אֶת־מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל יִתֵּן יְהֹוָה בְּיַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃
20 Immediately Saul fell flat on the ground, terrified by the words of Samuel. And his strength was gone, because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.
וַיְמַהֵר שָׁאוּל וַיִּפֹּל מְלֹא־קֽוֹמָתוֹ אַרְצָה וַיִּרָא מְאֹד מִדִּבְרֵי שְׁמוּאֵל גַּם־כֹּחַ לֹא־הָיָה בוֹ כִּי לֹא אָכַל לֶחֶם כׇּל־הַיּוֹם וְכׇל־הַלָּֽיְלָה׃
21 When the woman came to Saul and saw how distraught he was, she said to him, “Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice. I took my life in my hands and did as you told me.
וַתָּבוֹא הָֽאִשָּׁה אֶל־שָׁאוּל וַתֵּרֶא כִּֽי־נִבְהַל מְאֹד וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הִנֵּה שָֽׁמְעָה שִׁפְחָֽתְךָ בְּקוֹלֶךָ וָאָשִׂים נַפְשִׁי בְּכַפִּי וָֽאֶשְׁמַע אֶת־דְּבָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ אֵלָֽי׃
22 Now please listen to your servant and let me set a morsel of bread before you so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”
וְעַתָּה שְׁמַֽע־נָא גַם־אַתָּה בְּקוֹל שִׁפְחָתֶךָ וְאָשִׂמָה לְפָנֶיךָ פַּת־לֶחֶם וֶאֱכוֹל וִיהִי בְךָ כֹּחַ כִּי תֵלֵךְ בַּדָּֽרֶךְ׃
23 Saul refused, saying, “I will not eat.” But his servants joined the woman in urging him, and he heeded their voice. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
וַיְמָאֵן וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אֹכַל וַיִּפְרְצוּ־בוֹ עֲבָדָיו וְגַם־הָאִשָּׁה וַיִּשְׁמַע לְקֹלָם וַיָּקׇם מֵֽהָאָרֶץ וַיֵּשֶׁב אֶל־הַמִּטָּֽה׃
24 The woman had a fattened calf at her house, and she quickly slaughtered it. She also took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread.
וְלָאִשָּׁה עֵֽגֶל־מַרְבֵּק בַּבַּיִת וַתְּמַהֵר וַתִּזְבָּחֵהוּ וַתִּקַּח־קֶמַח וַתָּלָשׁ וַתֹּפֵהוּ מַצּֽוֹת׃
25 She served it to Saul and his servants, and they ate. And that night they got up and left.
וַתַּגֵּשׁ לִפְנֵי־שָׁאוּל וְלִפְנֵי עֲבָדָיו וַיֹּאכֵלוּ וַיָּקֻמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ בַּלַּיְלָה הַהֽוּא׃

< 1 Samuel 28 >