Study Desk

So David and the six hundred men who were with him arose and crossed over to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

Then David said to Achish, "If I have found favor in your sight, let me be given a place [of my own] in one of the cities in the country, so that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?"

Achish believed David, saying, "He has certainly become hated by his people in Israel; so he will always be my servant."

David said to Achish, "All right, you shall know what your servant can do." So Achish said to David, "Therefore I will make you my bodyguard for life."

So Saul inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim [used like lots by the priest to determine the will of God] or by prophets.

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."

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."

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?"

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

"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."

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.

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?

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

"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."

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].

David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought him the ephod.

So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor; there those [who could not continue] remained behind.

So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives.

So David captured all the flocks and herds [which the enemy had], and [the people] drove those animals before him and said, "This is David's spoil."

David came to the two hundred men who were so exhausted that they could not follow him and had been left at the brook Besor [with the provisions]. They went out to meet David and the people with him, and when he approached the people, he greeted them.