(3) Now Samuel had died and all Israel made lament for him; and he was buried in his own town of Ramah. And Saul had forbidden [recourse to] ghosts and familiar spirits in the land. (4) The Philistines mustered and they marched to Shunem and encamped; and Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. (5) When Saul saw the Philistine force, his heart trembled with fear. (6) And Saul inquired of GOD, but GOD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets. (7) Then Saul said to his courtiers, “Find me a woman who consults ghosts, so that I can go to her and inquire through her.” And his courtiers told him that there was a woman in En-dor who consulted ghosts. (8) Saul disguised himself; he put on different clothes and set out with two men. They came to the woman by night, and he said, “Please divine for me by a ghost. Bring up for me the one I shall name to you.” (9) But the woman answered him, “You know what Saul has done, how he has banned [the use of] ghosts and familiar spirits in the land. So why are you laying a trap for me, to get me killed?” (10) Saul swore to her by GOD: “As GOD lives, you won’t get into trouble over this.” (11) At that, the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He answered, “Bring up Samuel for me.” (12) Then the woman recognized Samuel, and she shrieked loudly, and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” (13) The king answered her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being coming up from the earth.” (14) “What does he look like?” he asked her. “It is an old man coming up,” she said, “and he is wrapped in a robe.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel; and he bowed low in homage with his face to the ground. (15) Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me and brought me up?” And Saul answered, “I am greatly troubled. The Philistines are attacking me and God has turned away from me—and no longer answers me, either by prophets or in dreams. So I have called you to tell me what I am to do.” (16) Samuel said, “Why do you ask me, seeing that GOD has turned away from you and has become your adversary? (17) GOD has done what was foretold through me: GOD has torn the kingship out of your hands and has given it to your fellow, to David, (18) because you did not obey GOD and did not execute [God’s] wrath upon the Amalekites. That is why GOD has done this to you today. (19) Further, GOD will deliver the Israelites who are with you into the hands of the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me; and GOD will also deliver the Israelite forces into the hands of the Philistines.” (20) At once Saul flung himself prone on the ground, terrified by Samuel’s words. Besides, there was no strength in him, for he had not eaten anything all day and all night. (21) The woman went up to Saul and, seeing how greatly disturbed he was, she said to him, “Your handmaid listened to you; I took my life in my hands and heeded the request you made of me. (22) So now you listen to me: Let me set before you a bit of food. Eat, and then you will have the strength to go on your way.” (23) He refused, saying, “I will not eat.” But when his courtiers as well as the woman urged him, he listened to them; he got up from the ground and sat on the bed. (24) The woman had a stall-fed calf in the house; she hastily slaughtered it, and took flour and kneaded it, and baked some unleavened cakes. (25) She set this before Saul and his courtiers, and they ate. Then they rose and left the same night.

(1) GOD’s hand came upon me. I was taken out by the spirit of GOD and set down in the valley. It was full of bones. (2) [God] led me all around them; there were very many of them spread over the valley, and they were very dry. (3) I was asked, “O mortal, can these bones live again?” I replied, “O my Sovereign GOD, only You know.” (4) And I was told, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of GOD! (5) Thus said the Sovereign GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live again. (6) I will lay sinews upon you, and cover you with flesh, and form skin over you. And I will put breath into you, and you shall live again. And you shall know that I am GOD!” (7) I prophesied as I had been commanded. And while I was prophesying, suddenly there was a sound of rattling, and the bones came together, bone to matching bone. (8) I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had grown, and skin had formed over them; but there was no breath in them. (9) Then [God] said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, O mortal! Say to the breath: Thus said the Sovereign GOD: Come, O breath, from the four winds, and breathe into these slain, that they may live again.” (10) I prophesied as I was commanded. The breath entered them, and they came to life and stood up on their feet, a vast multitude. (11) And I was told, “O mortal, these bones are the whole House of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone; we are doomed.’ (12) Prophesy, therefore, and say to them: Thus said the Sovereign GOD: I am going to open your graves and lift you out of the graves, O My people, and bring you to the land of Israel. (13) You shall know, O My people, that I am GOD, when I have opened your graves and lifted you out of your graves. (14) I will put My breath into you and you shall live again, and I will set you upon your own soil. Then you shall know that I, GOD, have spoken and have acted”—declares GOD.

In another baraitait was taught that Abba Binyamin says: If the eye was given permission to see, no creature would be able to withstand the abundance and ubiquity of the demons and continue to live unaffected by them. Similarly, Abaye said: They are more numerous than we are and they stand over us like mounds of earth surrounding a pit.Rav Huna said: Each and every one of us has a thousand demons to his left and ten thousand to his right. God protects man from these demons, as it says in the verse: “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; they will not approach you” (Psalms 91:7). Summarizing the effects of the demons, Rava said:The crowding at the kalla, the gatherings for Torah study during Elul and Adar, is from the demons; those knees that are fatigued even though one did not exert himself is from the demons; those clothes of the Sages that wear out, despite the fact that they do not engage in physical labor, is from friction with the demons; those feet that are in pain is from the demons. One who seeks to know that the demons exist should place fine ashes around his bed, and in the morning the demons’ footprints appear like chickens’ footprints, in the ash. One who seeks to see them should take the afterbirth of a firstborn female black cat, born to a firstborn female black cat, burn it in the fire, grind it and place it in his eyes, and he will see them. He must then place the ashes in an iron tube sealed with an iron seal [gushpanka] lest the demons steal it from him, and then seal the opening so he will not be harmed. Rav Beivai bar Abaye performed this procedure, saw the demons, and was harmed. The Sages prayed for mercy on his behalf and he was healed.

(3) So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to get grain rations in Egypt; (4) for Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, since he feared that he might meet with disaster.

(22) We said to my lord, ‘The boy cannot leave his father; if he were to leave him, his father would die.’

(27) Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he consumes the foe, And in the evening he divides the spoil.”