The Last Days of Saul

Title ideas:Saul went to a sorceress and he died.How King Saul died.Sorcery?

When the prophet Samuel died, all the people in Israel mourned for him. His family buried him near his hometown.

One day, messengers came and reported to King Saul, “A Philistine [tribe] army has (again) attacked [invaded / come against] Israel!” So King Saul and his army went and set up camp nearby [in view of the Philistine army]. When Saul saw how big the Philistine army was, he became very fearful [panicked / terrified].

Saul prayed, “O Lord! What shall I do?” But the Lord no longer replied to Saul’s prayers. So Saul ordered his servants, “Go find for me a sorcerer [medium / witch] who can talk to dead [people], so that I can ask about what I must do!”

But [earlier, while Samuel was still alive and Saul was trying to please the Lord] Saul had already [banned / sent away] all sorcerers from Israel. Even so, his servants reported, “There is a sorceress in a village who can speak with the dead!”

So Saul put on different clothes, so he would not be recognized as being the king, and he went at night with two other men to see the sorceress. He said to her, “Please speak to the man’s spirit whose name I shall tell you!”

But the sorceress was worried [wary / suspicious] and said, “Are you trying to entrap [catch] me? [I think you are trying to trap me so that I will be killed for doing something that is not permitted.] You know that King Saul has forbidden everyone to speak to spirits!”

Saul replied, “No one will punish you!” So she asked him, “Whose spirit shall I call up [speak with]?” Saul replied, “The prophet Samuel’s spirit!”

When Saul heard the sorceress speaking with Samuel’s voice, he asked, “Samuel! The Philistines have invaded Israel, but the Lord will not speak to me. Please, tell me what I must do!”

Samuel replied, “Because you disobeyed the Lord [by not killing all the Amalekites], he will soon make David to be king in your place. Tomorrow, the Philistines will defeat Israel’s army! You and your sons will die, and your spirits will come here [to dwell] amongst the dead!”

Samuel’s words terrified Saul. He could not do anything.

Next day, the Philistine army defeated the Israelite army. Many Israelite soldiers died, and the rest fled away.

The Philistines killed Saul’s three sons, including Jonathan.

A Philistine soldier shot an arrow that hit Saul. Saul did not want the Philistines to capture him alive, so he said to his personal guard [armor-bearer], “Kill me! [so I will not be tortured and laughed at by the Philistines as I am dying]” But the man would not [kill his King]. So Saul fell down on his own sword [which pierced him], and he died.

Next day, the Philistines found Saul and his three sons dead. They cut off Saul’s head, then they hanged all their bodies to [on] an Israelite town wall.

Some courageous Israelite men in another down heard about this. So they went secretly to the town, and took their bodies down from the wall.

They buried Saul’s body and his sons’ bodies near a big tree, then informed [told] David. After David mourned for Saul and for Jonathan, he went to stay at Hebron Town.

The Israelite leaders of Judah Province came to Hebron Town. There they anointed [poured (olive) oil on] David’s head to show the he was now their king. Seven years later, all Israel Land would anoint David to be their king.