I Samuel 28

¹Forsothe it was doon in tho daies, Filisteis gaderiden her cumpenyes, that thei schulden be maad redi ayens Israel to batel. And Achis seide to Dauid, Thou witynge `wite now, for thou schalt go out with me in castels, thou and thi men.

²And Dauid seide to Achis, Now thou schalt wyte what thingis thi seruaunt schal do. And Achis seide to Dauid, And Y schal sette thee kepere of myn heed in alle dayes.

³Forsothe Samuel was deed, and al Israel biweilide hym, and thei birieden hym in Ramatha, his citee. And Saul dide awey fro the lond witchis and fals dyuynours, `and he slouy hem that hadden `charmers of deuelis `in her wombe.

⁴And Filisteis weren gaderid, and camen, and settiden tentis in Sunam; sotheli and Saul gaderide al Israel, and cam in to Gelboe.

⁵And Saul siy the castels of Filisteis, and he dredde, and his herte dredde greetli.

⁶And he counselide the Lord; and the Lord answeride not to hym, nether bi preestis, nether bi dremes, nether bi profetis.

⁷And Saul seide to hise seruauntis, Seke ye to me a womman hauynge a feend spekynge in the wombe; and Y schal go to hir, and Y schal axe bi hir. And hise seruauntis seiden to hym, A womman hauynge a feend spekynge in the wombe is in Endor.

⁸Therfor Saul chaungide his clothing, and he was clothid with othere clothis; and he yede, and twei men with hym; and thei camen to the womman in the nyyt. And he seyde, Dyuyne thou to me in a fend spekynge in the wombe, and reise thou to me whom Y schal seie to thee.

⁹And the womman seide to hym, Lo! thou woost hou grete thingis Saul hath do, and hou he dide awei fro the lond witchis, and fals dyuynours; whi therfor settist thou tresoun to my lijf, that Y be slayn?

¹⁰And Saul swoor to hir in the Lord, and seide, The Lord lyueth; for no thing of yuel schal come to thee for this thing.

¹¹And the womman seide to hym, Whom schal Y reise to thee? And he seide, Reise thou Samuel to me.

¹²Sotheli whanne the womman hadde seyn Samuel, sche criede with greet vois, and seide to Saul, Whi hast thou disseyued me? for thou art Saul.

¹³And the kyng seide to hir, Nyl thou drede; what hast thou seyn? And the womman seide to Saul, Y siy goddis stiynge fro erthe.

¹⁴And Saul seide to hir, What maner forme is of hym? And sche seide, An eld man stieth, and he is clothid with a mentil. And Saul vndirstood that it was Samuel; and Saul bowide hym silf on his face to the erthe, and worschipide.

¹⁵Sotheli Samuel seide to Saul, Whi hast thou disesid me, that Y schulde be reisid? And Saul seide, Y am constreyned greetli; for Filisteis fiyten ayens me, and God yede awei fro me, and he nolde here me, nether bi the hond of profetis, nether bi dremes; therfor Y clepide thee, that thou schuldist schewe to me what Y schal do.

¹⁶And Samuel seide, What axist thou me, whanne God hath go awei fro thee, and passide to thin enemy?

¹⁷For the Lord schal do to thee as he spak in myn hond, and he schal kitte awey thi rewme fro thin hond, and he schal yyue it to Dauid, thi neiybore;

¹⁸for thou obeiedist not to the vois of the Lord, nether didist the `ire of hys strong veniaunce in Amalech. Therfor the Lord hath do to thee to day that that thou suffrist;

¹⁹and the Lord schal yyue also Israel with thee in the hond of Filisteis. Forsothe to morewe thou and thi sones schulen be with me; but also the Lord schal bitake the castels of Israel in the hond of Filistiym.

²⁰And anoon Saul felde stretchid forth to erthe; for he dredde the wordis of Samuel, and strengthe was not in hym, for he hadde not ete breed in al that dai and al nyyt.

²¹Therfor thilke womman entride to Saul, and seide; for he was disturblid greetli; and sche seide to hym, Lo! thin handmayde obeiede to thi vois, and Y haue put my lijf in myn hond, and Y herde thi wordis, whiche thou spakist to me.

²²Now therfor and thou here the vois of thin handmaide, and Y schal sette a mussel of breed bifor thee, and that thou etynge wexe strong, and maist do the iourney.

²³And he forsook, and seide, Y schal not ete. Sothely hise seruauntis and the womman compelliden hym; and at the laste, whanne the vois of hem was herd, he roos fro the erthe, and sat on the bed.

²⁴Sotheli thilke womman hadde a fat calf in the hows, and `sche hastide, and killide hym; and sche took mele, and meddlide it, and made therf breed;

²⁵and settide bifor Saul and bifor hise seruauntis, and whanne thei hadden ete, thei risiden, and walkiden bi al that nyyt.

I Samuel 28

¹And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.

²And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.

³Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

⁴And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.

⁵And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.

⁶And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

⁷Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at En–dor.

⁸And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.

⁹And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?

¹⁰And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

¹¹Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

¹²And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

¹³And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

¹⁴And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

¹⁵And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

¹⁶Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

¹⁷And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:

¹⁸Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.

¹⁹Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

²⁰Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

²¹And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.

²²Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.

²³But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

²⁴And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:

²⁵And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.