The Philistines Gather against Israel

1And in those dayes, the Philistines gathered theyr hoast together to warre, to fight with Israel: And Achis sayd to Dauid, Be sure thou shalt go out with me to battayle, thou and the men that are with thee. 2And Dauid sayde to Achis: Surelie thou shalt knowe what thy seruaunt can do. And Achis said to Dauid: Then I will make thee keper of my head for euer.

3Samuel was then dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Rama his owne citie: And Saul had put away the sorcerers, and the soothsayers out of the land. 4And the Philistines gathered together, and came, and pytched in Sunem: And Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pytched in Gilboa. 5And when Saul sawe the hoast of the Philistines, he was afrayde, & his heart was sore astonied. 6And when Saul asked councell of the Lorde, the Lorde aunswered him not, neither by dreames, nor by Urim, nor yet by prophetes.

Saul and the Medium of Endor

7Then sayd Saul vnto his seruautes: Seeke me a woman that hath a familier spirite, that I may go to her, and aske of her. And his seruauntes sayd to him: Beholde, there is a woman that hath a familier spirite at Endor.

8And Saul chaunged him selfe, and put on other rayment, and then went he & two men with him, and they came to the woman by nyght, and he sayde: I pray thee coniecture vnto me by the familier spirite, & bring me him vp whom I shall name vnto thee. 9And the woman saide vnto him: Beholde, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the sorcerers, and the soothsayers out of the land: Wherfore then layest thou a snare for my soule, to cause me to die? 10And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying: As the Lorde lyueth, there shall no harme come to thee for this thyng. 11Then saide the woman: Whom shall I fetch vp vnto thee? He aunswered: Bring me vp Samuel. 12When the woman sawe Samuel, she cryed with a loude voyce, and spake to Saul, saying: Why hast thou deceaued me? for thou art Saul. 13And the king saide vnto her: Be not afrayd: What sawest thou? The woman saide vnto Saul: I sawe gods ascending vp out of the earth. 14He saide vnto her againe: What fashion is he of? She aunswered: There cometh vp an olde man with a mantel vpon him. And Saul perceaued that it was Samuel, and he stowped with his face to the ground, and bowed him selfe.

15And Samuel said to Saul: Why hast thou vnquieted me, to make me be brought vp? Saul aunswered: I am sore encumbred, for ye Philistines make warre against me, and God is departed from me, and aunswereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreames: And therefore I haue called thee, that thou mayest tell me what I shall do. 16Then saide Samuel: Wherefore doest thou aske of me, while the Lord is gone from thee, and is become thyne enemie? 17Trulie the Lord hath done to him, euen as he spake by my hand: For the Lorde hath rent the kingdome out of thyne hand, and geuen it thy neyghbour Dauid. 18Because thou obeyedst not the voyce of the Lorde, nor executedst his fierce wrath vpon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lord done this vnto thee this day. 19And moreouer, the Lord will deliuer Israel with thee into the handes of the Philistines: To morrowe shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me, and the Lorde shall geue the hoast of Israel into the handes of the Philistines.

20Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afrayde because of the wordes 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 vnto Saul, & sawe that he was sore troubled, & sayde vnto him: See, thyne handmayde hath obeyed thy voyce, & haue put my soule in my hand, and haue hearkened vnto thy wordes which thou sayedst vnto me. 22Nowe therefore I pray thee hearken thou also vnto the voyce of thyne handmayde, and let me set a morsell of bread before thee, that thou mayest eate, and get thee strength, & then go on thy iourney. 23He refused, and sayde: I will not eate. But his seruauntes and the woman together compelled him, and he hearkened vnto their voyce: And so he arose from the earth, and sat on a bed. 24The woman had a fat calfe in the house, and she hasted and killed it, and tooke floure and kneded it, and did bake vnleauened bread thereof: 25And brought them before Saul, and before his seruauntes: And when they had eaten, they stoode vp, & went away the same night.