¹ 那时，非利士人聚集军旅，要与以色列人打仗。亚吉对大卫说：你当知道，你和跟随你的人都要随我出战。

² 大卫对亚吉说：仆人所能做的事，王必知道。亚吉对大卫说：这样，我立你永远作我的护卫长。

³ 那时撒母耳已经死了，以色列众人为他哀哭，葬他在拉玛，就是在他本城里。扫罗曾在国内不容有交鬼的和行巫术的人。

⁴ 非利士人聚集，来到书念安营；扫罗聚集以色列众人在基利波安营。

⁵ 扫罗看见非利士的军旅就惧怕，心中发颤。

⁶ 扫罗求问耶和华，耶和华却不藉梦，或乌陵，或先知回答他。

⁷ 扫罗吩咐臣仆说：当为我找一个交鬼的妇人，我好去问他。臣仆说：在隐多珥有一个交鬼的妇人。

⁸ 於是扫罗改了装，穿上别的衣服，带着两个人，夜里去见那妇人。扫罗说：求你用交鬼的法术，将我所告诉你的死人，为我招上来。

⁹ 妇人对他说：你知道扫罗从国中剪除交鬼的和行巫术的。你为何陷害我的性命，使我死呢？

¹⁰ 扫罗向妇人指着耶和华起誓说：我指着永生的耶和华起誓，你必不因这事受刑。

¹¹ 妇人说：我为你招谁上来呢？回答说：为我招撒母耳上来。

¹² 妇人看见撒母耳，就大声呼叫，对扫罗说：你是扫罗，为甚麽欺哄我呢？

¹³ 王对妇人说：不要惧怕，你看见了甚麽呢？妇人对扫罗说：我看见有神从地里上来。

¹⁴ 扫罗说：他是怎样的形状？妇人说：有一个老人上来，身穿长衣。扫罗知道是撒母耳，就屈身，脸伏於地下拜。

¹⁵ 撒母耳对扫罗说：你为甚麽搅扰我，招我上来呢？扫罗回答说：我甚窘急；因为非利士人攻击我，神也离开我，不再藉先知或梦回答我。因此请你上来，好指示我应当怎样行。

¹⁶ 撒母耳说：耶和华已经离开你，且与你为敌，你何必问我呢？

¹⁷ 耶和华照他藉我说的话，已经从你手里夺去国权，赐与别人，就是大卫。

¹⁸ 因你没有听从耶和华的命令；他恼怒亚玛力人，你没有灭绝他们，所以今日耶和华向你这样行，

¹⁹ 并且耶和华必将你和以色列人交在非利士人的手里。明日你和你众子必与我在一处了；耶和华必将以色列的军兵交在非利士人手里。

²⁰ 扫罗猛然仆倒，挺身在地，因撒母耳的话甚是惧怕；那一昼一夜没有吃甚麽，就毫无气力。

²¹ 妇人到扫罗面前，见他极其惊恐，对他说：婢女听从你的话，不顾惜自己的性命，遵从你所吩咐的。

²² 现在求你听婢女的话，容我在你面前摆上一点食物，你吃了，可以有气力行路。

²³ 扫罗不肯，说：我不吃。但他的仆人和妇人再三劝他，他才听了他们的话，从地上起来，坐在床上。

²⁴ 妇人急忙将家里的一只肥牛犊宰了，又拿面抟成无酵饼烤了，

²⁵ 摆在扫罗和他仆人面前。他们吃完，当夜就起身走了。

¹ Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar.

² Abraham said about Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken. For she is a man's wife."

⁴ Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, "Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation?

⁵ Didn't he tell me, 'She is my sister?' She, even she herself, said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands have I done this."

⁶ God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn't allow you to touch her.

⁷ Now therefore, restore the man's wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don't restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours."

⁸ Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared.

⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!"

¹⁰ Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you have done this thing?"

¹¹ Abraham said, "Because I thought, 'Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife's sake.'

¹² Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

¹³ It happened, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, 'This is your kindness which you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

¹⁴ Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him.

¹⁵ Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you."

¹⁶ To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated."

¹⁷ Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children.

¹⁸ For Yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.