1 Samuel 28-31
Expanded Bible
Saul and the Medium of Endor
28 ·Later [L In those days], the Philistines ·gathered [mobilized; mustered] their armies [for war] to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You understand that you and your men must ·join [go out with; accompany] my army.”
2 David answered, “You will see for yourself what I, your servant, can do!”
Achish said, “Fine, I’ll make you my ·permanent [lifelong] ·bodyguard [L protector/guard of my head].”
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all the Israelites had ·shown their sadness [mourned; lamented] for him. They had buried Samuel in his hometown of Ramah.
And Saul had ·forced out [removed; banned] the mediums and ·fortune-tellers [wizards; spiritists] from the land [Lev. 19:31; 20:6].
4 The Philistines ·came together [assembled; mobilized] and made camp at Shunem. Saul gathered all the Israelites and made camp at Gilboa. 5 When he saw the Philistine army, he was afraid, and his heart ·pounded with fear [trembled violently]. 6 He ·prayed to [inquired of] the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him through dreams, Urim [C devices carried by the High Priest to inquire of God; Ex. 28:30], or prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his ·servants [advisers; attendants], “Find me a woman who ·is a medium [is a necromancer; T has a familiar spirit] so I may go and ·ask her what will happen [inquire of/consult her].”
His servants answered, “There is a ·medium [a necromancer; T woman with a familiar spirit] in Endor.”
8 Then Saul put on other clothes to disguise himself, and at night he and two of his men went to see the woman. Saul said to her, “·Talk to [Consult] a spirit for me. ·Bring [Conjure] up the person I name.”
9 But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has ·forced [outlawed; L cut off] the mediums and ·fortune-tellers [wizards; spiritists] from the land. ·You are [Why are you…?] trying to trap me and get me killed.”
10 Saul made a ·promise [vow; oath] to the woman in the name of the Lord. He said, “As surely as the Lord lives, you won’t be ·punished [blamed] for this.”
11 The woman asked, “Whom do you want me to ·bring up [conjure]?”
He answered, “·Bring [Conjure] up Samuel.”
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, “Why have you ·tricked [deceived] me? You are Saul!”
13 The king said to the woman, “Don’t be afraid! What do you see?”
The woman said, “I see a ·spirit [ghost; god; divine being] coming up out of the ·ground [earth].”
14 Saul asked, “What ·does he look like [is his appearance/form]?”
The woman answered, “An old man wearing a ·coat [robe; cloak] is coming up.”
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground [and paid homage/did obeisance].
15 Samuel asked Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by ·bringing [conjuring] me up?”
Saul said, “I am ·greatly troubled [L in great trouble/distress]. The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has ·left [abandoned; departed/turned away from] me. He won’t answer me anymore, either by prophets or in dreams. That’s why I ·called for [summoned] you. Tell me what to do.”
16 Samuel said, “The Lord has ·left [abandoned; departed/turned away from] you and has become your enemy. So why do you ·call on [ask; consult] me? 17 He has done what he ·said he would do [predicted; foretold]—the things he said ·through me [L by my hand; 15:27–29]. He has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors, David [16:1–13]. 18 You did not obey the [L voice of the] Lord; you did not ·show the Amalekites how angry he was with them [carry out/execute his fierce anger/wrath on Amalek; 15:10–23]. That’s why he has done this to you today. 19 The Lord will hand over both Israel and you ·to [L into the hands of] the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines.”
20 Saul ·quickly [immediately] fell flat on the ground and was ·afraid [terrified] of what Samuel had said. ·He was also very weak [And his strength was gone] because he had eaten nothing all that day and night.
21 Then the woman came to Saul and saw that he was really ·frightened [terrified; shaken; distraught]. She said, “Look, I, your servant, have obeyed you. I have ·risked my life [L taken my life in my hands] and ·done [listened to] what you told me to do. 22 Now please also listen to me. Let me give you some ·food [bread] so you may eat and have enough strength to go on your way.”
23 But Saul refused, saying, “I won’t eat.”
His servants joined the woman in ·asking [urging] him to eat, and he listened to them. So he got up from the ground and sat on the ·bed [couch].
24 At the house the woman had a fat calf, which she quickly ·killed [slaughtered]. She took some flour and kneaded dough with her hands. Then she baked some ·bread without yeast [unleavened bread]. 25 She put the food before Saul and his servants, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.
David Goes Back to Ziklag
29 The Philistines ·gathered [mobilized; mustered] all their soldiers at Aphek. Israel camped by the spring at Jezreel. 2 The Philistine ·kings [rulers; lords] were marching with their groups of ·a hundred [hundreds] and ·a thousand men [thousands]. David and his men were marching ·behind [or at the rear with] Achish. 3 The Philistine commanders asked, “What are these Hebrews doing here?”
Achish told them, “·This is David. He [L Is this not David who…?] served Saul king of Israel, but he has been with me for ·over a year now [L days and years]. I have found nothing wrong in David since the time he ·left Saul [L deserted until today].”
4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send David back to the ·city you gave him [place you assigned him]. He cannot go with us into battle. If he does, ·we’ll have an enemy in our own camp [L he may become an adversary to us]. He could ·please [make himself acceptable to/reconcile himself to] his king ·by killing our own [with the heads of these] men. 5 ·David is [L Is not David…?] the one the Israelites dance and sing about, saying:
“‘Saul has ·killed thousands of his enemies [T slain his thousands],
·but [and] David has ·killed [T slain his] tens of thousands [18:7].’”
6 So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you ·are loyal [have been trustworthy/reliable/honest]. I would be pleased to have you ·serve in my army [march into battle]. Since the day you came to me [L until the present], I have found no ·wrong [fault; evil] in you. But the other ·kings [rulers; lords] don’t ·trust [approve of] you. 7 Go back in peace. Don’t do anything ·to displease [L evil in the eyes/sight of] the Philistine ·kings [rulers; lords].”
8 David asked, “What ·wrong have [have] I done? What ·evil have [have] you found in ·me [L your servant] from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go fight your enemies, my lord ·and [the] king?”
9 Achish answered, “I know you are as ·good [pleasing to me] as an angel from God. But the Philistine commanders have said, ‘David must not go with us into battle.’ 10 Early in the morning you and your master’s servants should leave. Get up as soon as it is light and go.”
11 So David and his men got up early in the morning and went back to the country of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.
David’s War with the Amalekites
30 ·On the third day [Three days later], when David and his men arrived at Ziklag, he found that the Amalekites had raided ·southern Judah [the Negev] and Ziklag, ·attacking [crushing; sacking; L striking] Ziklag and burning it. 2 They captured the women and everyone, ·young and old [L small and great], but they had not killed anyone. They had only ·taken [carried] them away.
3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found the town had been burned and their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken ·as prisoners [captive]. 4 Then David and his ·army [people] cried loudly until they were too weak to cry anymore. 5 David’s two wives had also been taken—Ahinoam of Jezreel [25:43] and Abigail the widow of Nabal from Carmel [25:1–42]. 6 The men in the army ·were threatening to kill David with stones [talked of stoning him], which greatly ·upset [endangered] David. Each man was ·sad and angry [embittered] because his sons and daughters had been captured, but David found ·strength [courage] in the Lord his God. 7 David said to Abiathar the priest [L the son of Ahimelech], “Bring me the ·holy vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14].” So Abiathar brought the ephod [C the ephod contained the means to inquiry of God; 23:6].
8 Then David asked the Lord, “Should I ·chase the people who took our families [L pursue them]? Will I ·catch [overtake] them?”
The Lord answered, “·Chase [Pursue] them. You will catch them, and you will ·succeed in saving your families [certainly rescue them all].”
9 David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor ·Ravine [Valley; Wadi; Brook], where some of the men stayed [L behind]. 10 David and four hundred men kept up the chase. The other two hundred men stayed behind because they were too ·tired [exhausted] to cross the ·ravine [valley].
11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave the Egyptian some water to drink and some ·food [bread] to eat. 12 And they gave him a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. Then ·he felt better [he revived; L his spirit returned to him], because he had not eaten any ·food [bread] or drunk any water for three days and nights.
13 David asked him, “Who ·is your master [do you belong to]? Where do you come from?”
He answered, “I’m an [L young] Egyptian, the ·slave [servant] of an Amalekite. Three days ago my master ·left [abandoned] me, because I was sick. 14 We had raided the ·southern area [Negev] of the Kerethites, the ·land [territory] of Judah, and the ·southern area [Negev] of Caleb. We burned Ziklag, as well.”
15 David asked him, “Can you lead me to ·the people who took our families [L this band of raiders]?”
He answered, “·Yes, if you promise me [Swear; Take an oath] before God that you won’t kill me or ·give [hand] me back to my master. Then I will take you to ·them [L this band of raiders].”
16 So the Egyptian led David to the Amalekites. They were ·lying around [L spread out] on the ground, eating and drinking and ·celebrating [dancing] with the ·things [great plunder/spoil] they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17 David ·fought [slaughtered; L struck] them from ·sunset [twilight; dusk] until the evening of the next day. None of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode off on their camels. 18 David ·got his two wives back [rescued his two wives] and [recovered] everything the Amalekites had taken. 19 Nothing was missing. David brought back everyone, ·young and old [L great and small], sons and daughters. He ·recovered [brought back] the ·valuable things [plunder; spoil] and everything the Amalekites had taken. 20 David took all the sheep and cattle, and his men made these animals go in front, saying, “They are David’s ·prize [plunder; spoil].”
21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too ·tired [exhausted] to follow him, who had stayed at the Besor ·Ravine [Valley; Wadi; Brook]. They came out to meet David and the people with him. When he came near, David greeted the men at the ravine.
22 But the ·evil men [rogues; corrupt] and ·troublemakers [scoundrels; worthless] among those who followed David said, “Since these two hundred men didn’t go with us, we shouldn’t give them any of the ·things we recovered [plunder; spoil]. Just let each man take his wife and children and ·go [be off/gone].”
23 David answered, “No, my brothers. Don’t do that after what the Lord has given us. He has ·protected [preserved; kept] us and ·given [handed over to] us the ·enemy [raiders] who attacked us. 24 Who will listen ·to what you say [when you speak this way]? The share will be the same for the one who stayed with the ·supplies [equipment; baggage] as for the one who went into battle. All will share alike.” 25 David made this an ·order [statute; ordinance; requirement] and ·rule [regulation] for Israel, which continues even today.
26 When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the ·things he had taken from the Amalekites [plunder; spoil] to his friends, the ·leaders [elders] of Judah. He said, “Here is a ·present [gift] for you from the ·things [plunder; spoil] we took from the Lord’s enemies.”
27 David also sent some things to the leaders in Bethel, Ramoth in the ·southern part of Judah [Negev], Jattir, 28 Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, 29 Racal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites, 30 Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athach, 31 Hebron, and to the people in all the other places where he and his men had ·been [roamed; visited].
The Death of Saul(A)
31 The Philistines fought against Israel, and the ·Israelites [L men of Israel] ·ran away from [fled before] them. Many Israelites ·were killed [L fell slain] on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines ·fought hard against [overtook; closed in/bore down on] Saul and his sons, killing his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting was ·heavy [fierce] around Saul. The archers ·shot [L found] him, and he was ·badly [severely; critically] wounded. 4 He said to ·the officer who carried his armor [his armor bearer], “·Pull out [Draw] your sword and ·kill me [run me through]. Then those ·uncircumcised men [pagans] won’t ·make fun of [taunt; abuse] me and ·kill me [run me through].” But Saul’s ·officer [armor bearer] refused, because he was ·afraid [terrified]. So Saul took his own sword and ·threw himself [L fell] on it. 5 When ·the officer [his armor bearer] saw that Saul was dead, he ·threw himself [L fell] on his own sword, and he died with Saul. 6 So Saul, his three sons, ·and the officer who carried his armor [his armor bearer] and all his men died together that day.
7 When the Israelites who lived across the Jezreel Valley and those who lived across the Jordan River saw how the Israelite army had ·run away [fled], and that Saul and his sons were dead, they ·left [abandoned] their cities and ran away. Then the Philistines came and ·lived there [occupied them].
8 The next day when the Philistines came to ·take all the valuable things from the dead soldiers [L strip the dead/corpses], they found Saul and his three sons ·dead [fallen; lying] on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off Saul’s head and ·took [stripped] off his armor. Then they sent messengers through all the land of the Philistines to tell the [L good] news in the ·temple [L houses] of their idols and to their people. 10 They put Saul’s armor in the ·temple [L house] of the Ashtoreths [or Astarte; C a pagan deity] and ·hung [fastened] his body on the wall of Beth Shan.
11 When the people living in Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 the ·brave men [valiant/mighty warriors] of Jabesh ·marched [walked; traveled] all night and came to Beth Shan. They ·removed [took] the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and brought them to Jabesh. There they burned the bodies. 13 They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh. Then the people of Jabesh fasted for seven days.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
