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The Blue Letter Bible

1 Samuel 28 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

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Saul Consults a Medium

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:1

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:1 - About 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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:2

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:2 - “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.”
(cf. Deu 18:9–14 )

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:3

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:3 - Meanwhile, 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:4

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:4 - The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:5

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:5 - When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:6

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:6 - He asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots[fn] or by the prophets.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:7

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:7 - Saul 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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:8

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:8 - So 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?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:9

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:9 - “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?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:10

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:10 - But 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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:11

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:11 - Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”
“Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:12

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:12 - When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, “You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:13

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:13 - “Don’t be afraid!” the king told her. “What do you see?”
“I see a god[fn] coming up out of the earth,” she said.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:14

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:14 - “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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:15

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:15 - “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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:16

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:16 - But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:17

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:17 - The LORD has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:18

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:18 - The LORD has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:19

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:19 - What’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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:20

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:20 - Saul 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:21

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:21 - When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, “Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:22

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:22 - Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:23

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:23 - But 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:24

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:24 - The 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 28:25

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 28:25 - She brought the meal to Saul and his advisers, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night.
See the NLT Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NLT Footnotes
Hebrew by Urim.
Or gods.
NLT

Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Full copyright information is provided here. Visit the New Living Translation website.

For more information on this translation, see the NLT Preface.

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1 Samuel Chapter 28 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New International Version English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras