OET interlinear 1SA 28:3

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-background

וּ⁠שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל מֵ֔ת & וְ⁠שָׁא֗וּל הֵסִ֛יר הָ⁠אֹב֥וֹת וְ⁠אֶת־הַ⁠יִּדְּעֹנִ֖ים מֵ⁠הָ⁠אָֽרֶץ

and,Samuel died & and,Saul expelled the,mediums and=DOM the,spiritists from,the,land

The author is providing background information to help readers understand what happens in the episode that he relates in this chapter. In your translation, introduce this information in a way that would be natural in your own language and culture.

Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns

וַ⁠יִּקְבְּרֻ֥⁠הוּ

and,buried,him

The author is not using the pronoun they to refer to specific people. Use an expression for this that would be natural in your language. Alternate translation: [and the Israelites had buried him] or [and he was buried]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠שָׁא֗וּל הֵסִ֛יר הָ⁠אֹב֥וֹת וְ⁠אֶת־הַ⁠יִּדְּעֹנִ֖ים מֵ⁠הָ⁠אָֽרֶץ

and,Saul expelled the,mediums and=DOM the,spiritists from,the,land

The author means that Saul had forbidden these practices. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [And Saul had forbidden people to use ritual pits or consult familiar spirits in the land]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

הָ⁠אֹב֥וֹת וְ⁠אֶת־הַ⁠יִּדְּעֹנִ֖ים

the,mediums and=DOM the,spiritists

The author is using the terms ritual pits and familiar spirits by association to mean the people who used these things. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [the people who used ritual pits to contact the dead and the people who consulted familiar spirits to obtain secret knowledge]

Note 5 topic: translate-unknown

הָ⁠אֹב֥וֹת

the,mediums

A ritual pit was a hole in the ground that was used in ceremonies to contact the spirits of dead people. If your readers would not be familiar with what a ritual pit was, in your translation you could use the name of a similar thing that your readers would recognize, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: [the places that people used to try to contact the dead]

Note 6 topic: translate-unknown

הַ⁠יִּדְּעֹנִ֖ים

the,spiritists

A familiar spirit was a supernatural being that people in this culture believed could help them gain secret knowledge. If your readers would not be familiar with this, in your translation you could use the name of a similar thing that your readers would recognize, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: [the spirits that people believed could give them secret knowledge]