1 Samuel 28:16

THE MESSAGE

"Why ask me?" said Samuel. " God has turned away from you and is now on the side of your neighbor. God has done exactly what he told you through me—ripped the kingdom right out of your hands and given it to your neighbor. It's because you did not obey God , refused to carry out his seething judgment on Amalek, that God does to you what he is doing today. Worse yet, God is turning Israel, along with you, over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And, yes, indeed, God is giving Israel's army up to the Philistines."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Samuel answered, “Since the Lord has turned away from you and has become your enemy, why are you asking me?

Hebrew Names Version
Shemu'el said, Why then do you ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from you, and is become your adversary?

King James Version
Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

Lexham English Bible
Then Samuel said, "Why do you ask me, since Yahweh has turned away from you and has become your enemy?

English Standard Version
And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy?

New Century Version
Samuel said, "The Lord has left you and has become your enemy. So why do you call on me?

New English Translation
Samuel said, "Why are you asking me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and has become your enemy?

Amplified Bible
Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy?

New American Standard Bible
Samuel said, "But why ask me, since the LORD has abandoned you and has become your enemy?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said Samuel, Wherefore then doest thou aske of me, seeing the Lord is gone from thee, and is thine enemie?

Legacy Standard Bible
And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since Yahweh has turned away from you and has become your adversary?

Contemporary English Version
Samuel said: If the Lord has turned away from you and is now your enemy, don't ask me what to do.

Complete Jewish Bible
Sh'mu'el said, "Why ask me, if Adonai has left you and become your enemy?

Darby Translation
And Samuel said, Why then dost thou inquire of me, seeing Jehovah is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

Easy-to-Read Version
Samuel said, "The Lord left you and is now your enemy, so why are you asking me for advice?

George Lamsa Translation
Then Samuel said to Saul, Why do you ask of me, seeing the LORD has departed from you, and now he is with your neighbor David?

Good News Translation
Samuel said, "Why do you call me when the Lord has abandoned you and become your enemy?

Literal Translation
And Samuel said, And why do you ask me, since Jehovah has departed from you and is your foe?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Samuel sayde: What wilt thou axe at me, seynge the LORDE is departed from the, and is become thine enemye?

American Standard Version
And Samuel said, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing Jehovah is departed from thee, and is become thine adversary?

Bible in Basic English
And Samuel said, Why do you put your questions to me, seeing that God has gone away from you and is on the side of him who is against you?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then saide Samuel: Wherefore doest thou aske of me, while the Lord is gone from thee, and is become thyne enemie?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Samuel said: 'Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine adversary?

King James Version (1611)
Then said Samuel, Wherefore then doest thou aske of mee, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Samuel said, Why askest thou me, whereas the Lord has departed from thee, and taken part with thy neighbour?

English Revised Version
And Samuel said, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine adversary?

Berean Standard Bible
"Why do you consult me," asked Samuel, "since the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Samuel seide, What axist thou me, whanne God hath go awei fro thee, and passide to thin enemy?

Young's Literal Translation
And Samuel saith, `And why dost thou ask me, and Jehovah hath turned aside from thee, and is thine enemy?

Update Bible Version
And Samuel said, Why then do you ask of me, seeing Yahweh has departed from you, and has become your adversary?

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Samuel, Why then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD hath departed from thee, and hath become thy enemy?

World English Bible
Samuel said, Why then do you ask of me, seeing Yahweh is departed from you, and is become your adversary?

New King James Version
Then Samuel said: "So why do you ask me, seeing the LORD has departed from you and has become your enemy?

New Living Translation
But Samuel replied, "Why ask me, since the Lord has left you and has become your enemy?

New Life Bible
Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has left you and has turned against you?

New Revised Standard
Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Samuel, Wherefore, then, shouldst thou ask me, - when, Yahweh, hath turned away from thee, and hath come to be with thy neighbour?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Samuel said: Why askest thou me, seeing the Lord has departed from thee, and is gone over to thy rival?

Revised Standard Version
And Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Samuel said, "Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from you and has become your adversary?

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by calling me up?" "Because I'm in deep trouble," said Saul. "The Philistines are making war against me and God has deserted me—he doesn't answer me any more, either by prophet or by dream. And so I'm calling on you to tell me what to do." ¹⁶"Why ask me?" said Samuel. " God has turned away from you and is now on the side of your neighbor. God has done exactly what he told you through me—ripped the kingdom right out of your hands and given it to your neighbor. It's because you did not obey God , refused to carry out his seething judgment on Amalek, that God does to you what he is doing today. Worse yet, God is turning Israel, along with you, over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. And, yes, indeed, God is giving Israel's army up to the Philistines."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Wherefore: Judges 5:31, 2 Kings 6:27, Psalms 68:1-3, Revelation 18:20, Revelation 18:24, Revelation 19:1-6

and is become: Lamentations 2:5

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 30:8 - he answered him Job 13:24 - holdest me Psalms 27:3 - war Isaiah 8:19 - should not Hosea 9:12 - woe Matthew 27:4 - see Luke 16:24 - have Acts 13:22 - when

Cross-References

Exodus 3:5
God said, "Don't come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You're standing on holy ground."

Joshua 5:15
God 's army commander ordered Joshua, "Take your sandals off your feet. The place you are standing is holy." Joshua did it.

Psalms 68:35
A terrible beauty, O God, streams from your sanctuary. It's Israel's strong God! He gives power and might to his people! O you, his people—bless God!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said Samuel, wherefore then dost thou, ask of me,.... Whom thou knowest to have been a prophet of the Lord, and therefore can say nothing more or less than what comes from him, and is according to his will, if anything at all; the "devil" representing Samuel, whom Saul had called for, and reasons in such language as might be thought to be his own, though sometimes he betrays himself:

seeing the Lord is departed from thee; as Saul himself owned: to which he adds,

and is become thine enemy; to make his case appear still more desperate; for his whole view is to lead him to despair, which shows what sort of spirit he was: though some understand this as spoken of David, and read the words, and "he is with thine enemy" i; is on his side, and favours his cause; so the Targum,

"and he is for the help of a man, whose enmity thou sharest in;''

or who is at enmity with thee, meaning David; but now the true Samuel would never have said this, or suggested it, that David was an enemy to Saul, for he was not.

i ויהי ערך "et est cum inimico tuo", Pagninus, Vatablus; so V. L.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 28:16. Wherefore then dost thou ask of me — Was ever I wont to give answers that were not dictated by the Lord? It is his counsel alone that I communicate.