28:1 那時，非利士人聚集軍旅，要與以色列人打仗。亞吉對大衛說：「你當知道，你和跟隨你的人都要隨我出戰。」
28:2 大衛對亞吉說：「僕人所能做的事，王必知道。」亞吉對大衛說：「這樣，我立你永遠作我的護衛長。」
28:3 那時撒母耳已經死了，以色列眾人為他哀哭，葬他在拉瑪，就是在他本城裡。掃羅曾在國內不容有交鬼的和行巫術的人。
28:4 非利士人聚集，來到書念安營；掃羅聚集以色列眾人在基利波安營。
28:5 掃羅看見非利士的軍旅就懼怕，心中發顫。
28:6 掃羅求問耶和華，耶和華卻不藉夢，或烏陵，或先知回答他。
28:7 掃羅吩咐臣僕說：「當為我找一個交鬼的婦人，我好去問她。」臣僕說：「在隱‧多珥有一個交鬼的婦人。」
28:8 於是掃羅改了裝，穿上別的衣服，帶著兩個人，夜裡去見那婦人。掃羅說：「求你用交鬼的法術，將我所告訴你的死人，為我招上來。」
28:9 婦人對他說：「你知道掃羅從國中剪除交鬼的和行巫術的。你為何陷害我的性命，使我死呢？」
28:10 掃羅向婦人指著耶和華起誓說：「我指著永生的耶和華起誓，你必不因這事受刑。」
28:11 婦人說：「我為你招誰上來呢？」回答說：「為我招撒母耳上來。」
28:12 婦人看見撒母耳，就大聲呼叫，對掃羅說：「你是掃羅，為甚麼欺哄我呢？」
28:13 王對婦人說：「不要懼怕，你看見了甚麼呢？」婦人對掃羅說：「我看見有神從地裡上來。」
28:14 掃羅說：「他是怎樣的形狀？」婦人說：「有一個老人上來，身穿長衣。」掃羅知道是撒母耳，就屈身，臉伏於地下拜。
28:15 撒母耳對掃羅說：「你為甚麼攪擾我，招我上來呢？」掃羅回答說：「我甚窘急；因為非利士人攻擊我，上帝也離開我，不再藉先知或夢回答我。因此請你上來，好指示我應當怎樣行。」
28:16 撒母耳說：「耶和華已經離開你，且與你為敵，你何必問我呢？
28:17 耶和華照他藉我說的話，已經從你手裡奪去國權，賜與別人，就是大衛。
28:18 因你沒有聽從耶和華的命令；他惱怒亞瑪力人，你沒有滅絕他們，所以今日耶和華向你這樣行，
28:19 並且耶和華必將你和以色列人交在非利士人的手裡。明日你和你眾子必與我在一處了；耶和華必將以色列的軍兵交在非利士人手裡。」
28:20 掃羅猛然仆倒，挺身在地，因撒母耳的話甚是懼怕；那一晝一夜，沒有吃甚麼，就毫無氣力。
28:21 婦人到掃羅面前，見他極其驚恐，對他說：「婢女聽從你的話，不顧惜自己的性命，遵從你所吩咐的。
28:22 現在求你聽婢女的話，容我在你面前擺上一點食物，你吃了，可以有氣力行路。」
28:23 掃羅不肯，說：「我不吃。」但他的僕人和婦人再三勸他，他才聽了他們的話，從地上起來，坐在床上。
28:24 婦人急忙將家裡的一隻肥牛犢宰了，又拿麵摶成無酵餅烤了，
28:25 擺在掃羅和他僕人面前。他們吃完，當夜就起身走了。
In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.”
2 David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.”
Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.
4 The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”
“There is one in Endor,” they said.
8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”
9 But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”
10 Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”
11 Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”
“Bring up Samuel,” he said.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”
13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”
The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure[a] coming up out of the earth.”
14 “What does he look like?” he asked.
“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”
“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”
16 Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. 18 Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. 19 The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”
20 Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.
21 When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. 22 Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”
23 He refused and said, “I will not eat.”
But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.
24 The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. 25 Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.
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大衛在非利士人當中好像過得不錯，甚至得到亞吉的信任。雖然亞吉說：「你當知道，你和跟隨你的人都要隨我出戰。」大衛也勇敢對亞吉說：「僕人所能做的事，王必知道。」亞吉對大衛說：「這樣，我立你永遠作我的護衛長。」可見亞及對大衛十分放心。
然而掃羅王可不是那麼好過，撒母耳過世之後，沒有上帝的啟示。掃羅又看見非利士的軍旅就懼怕，心中發顫。掃羅求問耶和華，耶和華卻不藉夢，或烏陵，或先知回答他。於是他動念頭到交鬼去了，竟然去找交鬼的女人要召撒母耳上來。不管那女人所召的鬼是不是撒母耳，卻給他害怕的消息：「耶和華已經離開你，且與你為敵，你何必問我呢？耶和華照他藉我說的話，已經從你手裡奪去國權，賜與別人，就是大衛。因你沒有聽從耶和華的命令；他惱怒亞瑪力人，你沒有滅絕他們，所以今日耶和華向你這樣行，並且耶和華必將你和以色列人交在非利士人的手裡。明日你和你眾子必與我在一處了；耶和華必將以色列的軍兵交在非利士人手裡。」
掃羅這樣的事件，讓我們看見上帝的旨意是不會改變的，因為掃羅不遵行上帝的道，已經被上帝厭棄了！而掃羅之所以被厭棄是因為不悔改，沒有耐心等候上帝，隨己意而行！正如他的獻祭以及交鬼的事，就讓我們看出他是隨己意而行的人，這在聖經的說法就是：任意妄為！
從掃羅的身上我們看見，不是「積極」去做一些事就會蒙上帝的喜悅，而是要照上帝的心意去做，甚至有時候還要等待上帝的時間。大衛和掃羅最大的差別，就是大衛會忍耐等候，不會任意而為，凡事照上帝的心意而行。這也就是敬畏上帝和不敬畏上帝的差別，這兩個人的所行所為是我們的借鏡，希望我們從當中德著智慧的心！
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