Old/New Testament
27 David was convinced that someday Saul would succeed—that whatever he might have said, he would track David down to kill him. So David decided his safest choice would be to escape to Philistia, because Saul could not pursue him outside Israel and he would be safe. 2 So David with his 600 men went to King Achish, son of Maoch, in Gath. 3 David and his men stayed with King Achish in Gath. All their families and David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal, were there also.
4 When Saul heard that David had gone to Gath and allied himself with the Philistines, he gave up his pursuit.
David (to King Achish): 5 If I have found favor with you, then give us someplace in one of the villages to live. Why should you share the royal city with me, your servant?
6 So Achish set aside Ziklag for them; and ever after, it belonged to the kings of Judah. 7 David lived in the land of the Philistines for a year and four months.
8 Now David and his men raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites (the inhabitants of the country of much earlier times from Shur and on toward Egypt). 9 David and his men invaded these areas, killing everyone, men and women, but bringing cattle, donkeys, sheep, camels, and garments of these territories back to the land of Achish.
Achish: 10 Whom did you raid today?
David (lying to him): Today we went out into the desert country in the south against Judah, the Jerahmeelites, and the Kenites.
11 The reason David never permitted survivors of his raids was because he could not risk one of them being brought alive to the Philistines in Gath and telling the truth—that David has done this or that. This was David’s practice during the entire time he lived in the land of the Philistines.
12 Because he did not know the truth, Achish trusted David. He thought David had made himself such an enemy of Israel that he would have to remain Achish’s servant for the rest of his life.
28 Then it came time for the Philistines to gather their forces to go to war against the people of Israel, and Achish spoke to David.
Achish: Of course you and your men will join us in the coming fight.
David: 2 Good. You will see what your servant can do in battle.
Achish: Excellent. You will be my bodyguard as long as I live.
3 Remember, Samuel had died some time previously and had been mourned by all of Israel. He was buried in his hometown of Ramah, and his wisdom died with him.
Another important thing to know: Saul had ordered all of the mediums and any others who claimed to speak to the dead thrown out of Israel.
4 The Philistines gathered for war, and they made their camp at Shunem. Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul looked out over the forces of the Philistines, he was filled with fear and lost his confidence. 6 Saul asked the Eternal for guidance, but He did not give him an answer, neither in dreams nor by consulting the Urim nor through prophecy.
This is simultaneously one of Saul’s greatest offenses against God and one of the times when he is a sympathetic character. As he comes to battle the Philistines, he has been cut off from any contact with God. It must seem as though everyone conspires against him, that he is all alone in the world; so, against his own decree forbidding such a thing, he consults a medium who can speak to the dead, a dark practice according to Hebrew law.
Saul (to his servants): 7 Find me a woman, a spiritual medium—someone I can ask for guidance.
Servants: A spiritual medium lives in En-dor.
8 So Saul disguised himself in different clothes, and taking two men with him, he went to see this woman in the dark of night.
Saul: I need you to call up someone from the grave—I’ll tell you who—so I can ask him questions.
Medium of En-dor: 9 Don’t you know what Saul has decreed? You should know that he has thrown all the mediums and all others who speak for the dead out of Israel. Why are you asking me to risk my life?
Saul (swearing by the Lord): 10 Nothing bad will happen to you. I promise.
Medium of En-dor: 11 Whom do you want me to bring up from the dead for you?
Saul: I need to speak with the prophet Samuel.
12 The medium began her rituals, but when she began to see Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice, realizing that her customer was Saul.
Medium of En-dor: Why have you lied to me? You’re really Saul!
Saul: 13 Don’t be frightened. Nothing will happen to you. Just tell me, what do you see?
Medium of En-dor: I see someone who looks like a divine being rising out of the ground!
Saul: 14 Describe him for me.
Medium of En-dor: An old man is coming, wrapped in a robe.
Saul knew this was Samuel, and he dropped to the ground, putting his face to the floor.
Samuel (to Saul): 15 Why have you disturbed me by calling me up from the land of the dead?
Saul: I don’t know what to do! The Philistines have gathered against us, and the True God has turned His back on me. He won’t answer me in dreams or by prophecy, so I’ve summoned you for advice.
Samuel: 16 Saul, why do you ask me what to do since you know the Eternal One has turned against you and is now your enemy? 17 He has done to you exactly as He told you through me, for He has wrestled the kingdom away from you in order to give it to your neighbor, David. 18 You did not obey the Eternal One’s orders to be an agent of His wrath on Amalek. That is why He has brought these circumstances upon you today. 19 And that is not all. He will hand you and your kingdom over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be where I am. The Eternal One will hand your entire army over to the Philistines.
20 When Saul heard Samuel’s words, he collapsed to the ground in terror and weakness, for he had not eaten all day and all night. 21 The woman came to him, and she saw that he was filled with fear.
Medium of En-dor: Your servant has done what you asked. I have risked my life to do it. 22 Now, please, listen to your servant. Have something to eat before you go. Eat what I offer you, so you can leave with some strength.
Saul: 23 No, I won’t eat anything.
His servants joined her in urging the king to eat, and at last he listened to them. He rose from the ground and sat on the bed. 24 The woman took a fatted calf, slaughtered it, and prepared it. She took flour, kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread. 25 When the food was ready, she served it to Saul and his servants, and they ate it before they departed that night.
The medium reveals herself to be a woman of compassion; when the king collapses in fear and hunger, she feeds him—a last meal, prepared and served with kindness, for a condemned man. And Saul, knowing his fate beforehand, is ready to die in battle.
29 The Philistines gathered for battle at Aphek, while the armies of Israel camped near the spring of Jezreel. 2 The armies of the Philistines were marching forward by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were marching in the rear with King Achish.
Philistine Generals: 3 What are these Hebrews doing here?
King Achish: Isn’t this David, who used to be the servant of King Saul of Israel? He has been with me for days, for years; and since he came over to our side and my service, I have never had a problem with him.
Philistine Generals (angry): 4 Send David back to the place you have appointed for him. Don’t let him go into battle with us—we might find him an enemy instead of an ally. Do you know how he could be reconciled with his former master? By handing him our heads!
5 Isn’t this the same David about whom the Israelites sang war songs while they danced and celebrated?
Saul has slain his thousands
and David, his tens of thousands.
Achish (calling to David): 6 As the Eternal One lives, you have been honest with me, and I wish you could march into battle and back at my side. I have found no fault in you before. But the generals—the leaders of my troops—will not have you go with us. 7 Go home now, and go in peace. Don’t do anything to upset them further.
This decision is certainly in David’s favor—could he really have gone to battle against Israel?—but he acts as though he is offended.
David: 8 What have I done to deserve this? Has your servant done anything since he entered your service to prevent him going out and fighting against my lord the king’s enemies?
Achish: 9 As I see it, you are no more to blame than a messenger of God, but the commanders of my troops have said they will not allow you to go into battle with us.
10 Get up early tomorrow morning with your lord’s servants, and return to the home I have given you in Ziklag. Rise early tomorrow, and go as soon as it is light.
11 So the next morning, David and his men got up early and traveled south to the land of the Philistines, but the Philistine army went north to Jezreel.
13 As He said this, some people told Him the latest news about a group of Galilean pilgrims in Jerusalem—a group not unlike Jesus’ own entourage. Pilate butchered them while they were at worship, their own blood mingling with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus: 2 Do you think these Galileans were somehow being singled out for their sins, that they were worse than any other Galileans, because they suffered this terrible death? 3 Of course not. But listen, if you do not consider God’s ways and truly change, then friends, you should prepare to face His judgment and eternal death.
4 Speaking of current events, you’ve all heard about the 18 people killed in that building accident when the tower in Siloam fell. Were they extraordinarily bad people, worse than anyone else in Jerusalem, so that they would deserve such an untimely death? 5 Of course not. But all the buildings of Jerusalem will come crashing down on you if you don’t wake up and change direction now.
6 (following up with this parable) A man has a fig tree planted in his vineyard. One day he comes out looking for fruit on it, but there are no figs. 7 He says to the vineyard keeper, “Look at this tree. For three years, I’ve come hoping to find some fresh figs, but what do I find? Nothing. So just go ahead and cut it down. Why waste the space with a fruitless tree?”
8 The vineyard keeper replies, “Give it another chance, sir. Give me one more year working with it. I’ll cultivate the soil and heap on some manure to fertilize it. 9 If it surprises us and bears fruit next year, that will be great, but if not, then we’ll cut it down.”
10 Around this time, He was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. 11 A woman there had been sick for 18 years; she was weak, hunched over, and unable to stand up straight. 12-13 Jesus placed His hands on her and suddenly she could stand straight again. She started praising God, 14 but the synagogue official was indignant because Jesus had not kept their Sabbath regulations by performing this healing.
Synagogue Official: Look, there are six other days when it’s appropriate to get work done. Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath!
Jesus: 15 You religious leaders are such hypocrites! Every single one of you unties his ox or donkey from its manger every single Sabbath Day, and then you lead it out to get a drink of water, right? 16 Do you care more about your farm animals than you care about this woman, one of Abraham’s daughters, oppressed by Satan for 18 years? Can’t we untie her from her oppression on the Sabbath?
17 As the impact of His words settled in, His critics were humiliated, but everyone else loved what Jesus said and celebrated everything He was doing.
Jesus (explaining): 18 Do you want to understand the kingdom of God? Do you want Me to tell you what it’s like? 19 It’s like a single mustard seed that someone took and planted in his garden. That tiny seed grew and became a tree so large that the birds could fly in and make their nests in its branches.
20 Do you want Me to tell you what the kingdom of God is like? 21 It’s like some yeast which a woman hid within a huge quantity of flour; soon the whole batch of dough was rising.
22 He was pressing toward Jerusalem, His journey taking Him through various towns and villages. In each one, He taught the people.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.