Study Desk

Now David and his men went up to fight the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. For they had been living in the land a long time, as you come to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt.

In those days the Philistines gathered their armies for war against Israel. Achish said to David, "Understand that you and your men are to go out with me to battle."

David said to Achish, "Very well, you will know what your servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Very well, I will make you the soldier who stands by me and keeps me safe for life."

Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had been filled with sorrow for him. They buried him in his own city of Ramah. And Saul had put out of the land those who spoke with spirits by using their secret ways.

Saul asked the Lord what he should do. But the Lord did not answer him, by dreams or by Urim or by those who speak for God.

Then Saul said to his servants, "Find a woman for me who can speak with spirits, that I may go to her and ask her what I should do." His servants said to him, "See, there is a woman at Endor who can speak with spirits."

So Saul dressed up to look like somebody else and went with two other men to the woman during the night. He said, "Use your secret ways for me, I beg you, and bring up for me whom I will name to you."

But the woman said to him, "See, you know what Saul has done. He has put out of the land those who speak with spirits by using their secret ways. Why do you lay a trap for my life to cause my death?"

But Saul promised her by the Lord, saying, "As the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this."

Then the woman said, "Whom should I bring up for you?" And he said, "Bring up Samuel for me."

When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. She said to Saul, "Why have you fooled me? For you are Saul!"

Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you troubled my rest by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am very troubled. The Philistines are making war against me. And God has left me and answers me no more, by those who speak for Him or by dreams. So I have called you to tell me what I should do."

At once Saul fell to the ground with his whole body. He was very afraid because of Samuel's words. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no food all day and all night.

Then the captains of the Philistines said, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish said to the captains of the Philistines, "Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years? I have found nothing wrong in him since the day he left to come to me."

But the Philistine captains were angry with him. They said to him, "Make the man return. Have him go again to his place which you have given him. Do not let him go down to battle with us. He might fight against us in the battle. For how could this man make his lord receive him again? Would it not be with the heads of these men?

And David was very troubled because the people talked about killing him with stones. For all the people were very angry in their sorrow for their sons and daughters. But David got his strength from the Lord his God.

Then David asked the Lord, "Should I go after this army? Should I meet them in battle?" The Lord said to him, "Go after them, for you will catch them for sure. And you will be sure to save all the people."

But David kept going after them, with 400 men. For 200 were too tired to cross the river of Besor and stayed behind.

They gave him a piece of a fig loaf and two vines of dried grapes. When he had eaten, his spirit returned to him. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.

Then all the sinful men of no worth who had gone with David said, "They did not go with us. So we will not give them anything of what we have taken, except for each man's wife and children. Each man may take them and go."