The Philistines Gather against Israel

1It fortuned at ye same tyme, that the Philistynes gathered their hoost together to the battayll, to go agaynst Israel. And Achis sayde vnto Dauid: Thou shalt knowe, that thou and thy men shal go forth with me in the hoost. 2Dauid sayde vnto Achis: Well, thou shalt se what thy seruaut shal do. Achis saide vnto Dauid: Therfore wyll I ordene the to be the keper of my heade as longe as I lyue.

3As for Samuel, he was deed, and all ye people had mourned for him, & buried him in his cite Ramath. So Saul had dryuen the soythsayers and expounders of tokens out of ye londe. 4Now whan the Philistynes gathered them selues together, and came and pitched their tentes at Sunem, Saul gathered all the people together, & they pitched at Gilboa. 5But whan Saul sawe the hoost of the Philistynes, he was afrayed, and his hert was discoraged, 6and he axed councell at the LORDE. But ye LORDE gaue him no answere, nether by dreames, ner by the lighte, ner by prophetes.

Saul and the Medium of Endor

7The sayde Saul vnto his seruauntes: Seke me a woma which hath a sprete of soythsayege, that I maye go vnto her, and axe at her. His seruauntes sayde vnto him: Beholde, at Endor is there a woman, which hath a sprete of soythsayenge.

8And Saul chaunged his clothes, and put on other, and wente his waye and two men with him, and came by nighte vnto the woman, and sayde: Prophecye vnto me (I pray the) thorow the sprete of soythsayenge, and brynge me him vp whom I shal name vnto the. 9The woma saide vnto him: Beholde, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath roted out the soythsayers & witches from the londe, wherfore wilt thou brynge my soule then in to ye nett, that I maye be slayne? 10But Saul sware vnto her by ye LORDE, and sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, there shall no harme happen vnto the for this. 11Then sayde ye woman: Whom shal I brynge vp vnto the? He sayde: Brynge me vp Samuel. 12Now whan ye woman sawe Samuel, she cryed loude, and sayde vnto Saul: Wherfore hast thou begyled me? Thou art Saul. 13And the kynge sayde vnto her: Feare not, what seist thou? The woman sayde vnto Saul: I se goddes comynge vp out of ye earth? 14He sayde: How is he shapened? She sayde: There commeth vp an olde man, and is clothed with a longe garment. Then perceaued Saul that it was Samuel, & bowed him selfe downe wt his face to the grounde, and worshiped him.

15Samuel saide vnto Saul: Why hast thou disquyeted me, to cause me be broughte vp? Saul sayde: I am sore troubled, the Philistynes fighte against me, & God is departed frome, & geueth me no answere, nether by prophetes ner by dreames: therfore haue I called the, yt thou mightest shewe me, what I shal do. 16Samuel sayde: What wilt thou axe at me, seynge the LORDE is departed from the, and is become thine enemye? 17The LORDE shal do vnto the euen as he spake by me, and shall plucke the kyngdome out of thy hande, and geue it vnto Dauid thy neghboure, 18because thou hast not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE, ner perfourmed the displeasure of his wrath agaynst Amalek. Therfore hath the LORDE done this now vnto the. 19Morouer the LORDE shal delyuer Israel with the also in to the handes of the Philistynes: tomorow shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me. And the hoost of Israel shal the LORDE delyuer in to the handes of the Philistynes.

20Then fell Saul immediatly vnto the earth, for he coulde not stonde, and was sore afrayed at these wordes of Samuel, so that there was nomore strength in him: for he had eaten no bred all that daye and all that night. 21And the woman wente into Saul, & sawe that he was sore vexed, and sayde vnto him: Beholde, thy handmayde hath herkened vnto thy voyce, and I haue put my soule in my hande, so that I haue herkened vnto yi wordes which thou spakest vnto me. 22Therfore folowe thou also the voyce of thy handmayde. I wil set a morsell of bred before the to eate, that thou mayest come to thy strength, & go yi waye. 23But he refused, and sayde, I wil not eate. Then his seruauntes & the woman copelled him, so that he herkened vnto their voyce. And he rose vp from ye grounde, and sat vpon the bed. 24The woman had a fat calfe at home, so she made haist, and kylled it, and toke meell and dyd kneet it, and baked swete cakes, 25& broughte them forth before Saul, & before his seruauntes. And whan they had eaten, they stode vp, and wete their waye yt nighte.