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Judges 18

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ Then Saul said to his servants, "Find for me a woman who is a medium [between the living and the dead], so that I may go to her and ask her advice." His servants said to him, "There is a woman who is a medium at En-dor."

² So Saul disguised himself by wearing different clothes, and he left with two men, and they came to the woman at night. He said to her, "Conjure up for me, please, and bring up [from the dead] for me [the spirit] whom I shall name to you."

³ But the woman said to him, "See here, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off (eliminated) those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. So why are you laying a trap for my life, to cause my death?"

⁴ Then Saul swore [an oath] to her by the LORD, saying, "As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this."

⁵ So the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He said, "Bring up Samuel for me."

⁶ When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed with a loud voice; and she said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"

⁷ The king said to her, "Do not be afraid; but [tell me] what do you see?" The woman said to Saul, "I see a[2] divine [superhuman] being coming up from the earth."

⁸ He said to her, "What is his appearance?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, wrapped in a robe." Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid respect [to him].

⁹ Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are making war against me, and God has left me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you to make known to me what I should do."

¹⁰ Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?

¹¹ The LORD has done [to you] just as He said through me [when I was with you]; for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David.

¹² Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day.

¹³ Moreover, the LORD will also put Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [among the dead]. Indeed, the LORD will put the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines."

¹⁴ Then Saul immediately fell full length on the earth [floor of the medium's house], and was very afraid because of Samuel's words;[3] and he was thoroughly exhausted because he had not eaten all day and all night.

¹⁵ The woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly troubled, and she said to him, "Look, your maidservant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to everything you said to me.

¹⁶ So now, please listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you, and eat, so that you may have strength when you go on your way."

¹⁷ But he refused and said, "I will not eat." But his servants together with the woman urged him, and he [finally] listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.

¹⁸ The woman had a fattened calf in the house; she quickly killed it, and took flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened bread.

¹⁹ She brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they got up and went away that night.

²⁰ Now the Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.

²¹ As the Philistine lords (governors) were proceeding on [marching] by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish [the king of Gath],

²² the Philistine commanders [having noticed David] said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish said to the Philistine commanders, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days and years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?"

²³ But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and they said to him, "Make this man return, so that he may go back to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may [turn and] become our adversary. For how could David reconcile himself to his lord [Saul]? Would it not be with the heads of these [Philistine] men?

²⁴ Is this not David, of whom they used to sing in dances, 'Saul killed his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?"

²⁵ Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the LORD lives, you have been upright (righteous), and your[1] behavior in the army is pleasing in my sight. For from the day you came to me to this day I have found no evil in you. Nevertheless,[2] the [Philistine] lords do not approve of you.

²⁶ So return now and go in peace [to your place], so that you do not displease the Philistine lords."

²⁷ David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day when I [first] came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"

²⁸ Achish answered David, "I know that you are blameless in my sight, like an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, 'He must not go up with us to the battle.'

²⁹ So now, get up early in the morning with your master's servants who have come with you, and as soon as you are up in the morning and have light, leave."

³⁰ So David and his men got up early to leave in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel [to fight against Israel].

³¹ Now it happened when David and his men came [home] to Ziklag on the third day, [they found] that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev (the South country) and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire;

#	AMP
1	Then Saul said to his servants, "Find for me a woman who is a medium [between the living and the dead], so that I may go to her and ask her advice." His servants said to him, "There is a woman who is a medium at En-dor."
2	So Saul disguised himself by wearing different clothes, and he left with two men, and they came to the woman at night. He said to her, "Conjure up for me, please, and bring up [from the dead] for me [the spirit] whom I shall name to you."
3	But the woman said to him, "See here, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off (eliminated) those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. So why are you laying a trap for my life, to cause my death?"
4	Then Saul swore [an oath] to her by the LORD, saying, "As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this."
5	So the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He said, "Bring up Samuel for me."
6	When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed with a loud voice; and she said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"
7	The king said to her, "Do not be afraid; but [tell me] what do you see?" The woman said to Saul, "I see a[2] divine [superhuman] being coming up from the earth."
8	He said to her, "What is his appearance?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, wrapped in a robe." Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid respect [to him].
9	Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are making war against me, and God has left me and no longer answers me, either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you to make known to me what I should do."
10	Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?
11	The LORD has done [to you] just as He said through me [when I was with you]; for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David.
12	Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day.
13	Moreover, the LORD will also put Israel along with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [among the dead]. Indeed, the LORD will put the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines."
14	Then Saul immediately fell full length on the earth [floor of the medium's house], and was very afraid because of Samuel's words;[3] and he was thoroughly exhausted because he had not eaten all day and all night.
15	The woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly troubled, and she said to him, "Look, your maidservant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to everything you said to me.
16	So now, please listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you, and eat, so that you may have strength when you go on your way."
17	But he refused and said, "I will not eat." But his servants together with the woman urged him, and he [finally] listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
18	The woman had a fattened calf in the house; she quickly killed it, and took flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened bread.
19	She brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they got up and went away that night.
20	Now the Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, while Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
21	As the Philistine lords (governors) were proceeding on [marching] by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish [the king of Gath],
22	the Philistine commanders [having noticed David] said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish said to the Philistine commanders, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul king of Israel, who has been with me these days and years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?"
23	But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and they said to him, "Make this man return, so that he may go back to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may [turn and] become our adversary. For how could David reconcile himself to his lord [Saul]? Would it not be with the heads of these [Philistine] men?
24	Is this not David, of whom they used to sing in dances, 'Saul killed his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?"
25	Then Achish called David and said to him, "As the LORD lives, you have been upright (righteous), and your[1] behavior in the army is pleasing in my sight. For from the day you came to me to this day I have found no evil in you. Nevertheless,[2] the [Philistine] lords do not approve of you.
26	So return now and go in peace [to your place], so that you do not displease the Philistine lords."
27	David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day when I [first] came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"
28	Achish answered David, "I know that you are blameless in my sight, like an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, 'He must not go up with us to the battle.'
29	So now, get up early in the morning with your master's servants who have come with you, and as soon as you are up in the morning and have light, leave."
30	So David and his men got up early to leave in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel [to fight against Israel].
31	Now it happened when David and his men came [home] to Ziklag on the third day, [they found] that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev (the South country) and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire;

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