1 Samuel 23
23
David Saves the People of Keilah
1David was told, “The Philistines are fighting against the town of Keilah. They are stealing grain from the threshing floors.” 2So he asked the Lord for advice. He said, “Should I go and attack those Philistines?”
The Lord answered him, “Go and attack them. Save Keilah.”
3But David’s men said to him, “We’re afraid here in Judah. Suppose we go to Keilah and fight against the Philistine army. Then we’ll be even more afraid.”
4Once again David asked the Lord what he should do. The Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah. I am going to hand the Philistines over to you.” 5So David and his men went to Keilah. They fought against the Philistines and carried off their livestock. David wounded and killed large numbers of Philistines. And he saved the people of Keilah. 6Abiathar, the son of Ahimelek, had brought down the sacred linen apron with him from Nob. He did it when he ran away to David at Keilah.
Saul Chases David
7Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. He said, “God has handed him over to me. David has trapped himself by entering a town that has gates with metal bars.” 8So Saul brought together all his soldiers to go to battle. He ordered them to go down to Keilah. He told them to surround David and his men. He told them to get ready to attack them.
9David learned that Saul was planning to attack him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the linen apron.” 10Then David said, “Lord, you are the God of Israel. I know for sure that Saul plans to come to Keilah. He plans to destroy the town because of me. 11Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down here, as I’ve heard he would? Lord, you are the God of Israel. Please answer me.”
The Lord said, “He will come down.”
12Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?”
And the Lord said, “They will.”
13So David and his men left Keilah. The total number of them was about 600. They kept moving from place to place. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah. So he didn’t go there.
14Sometimes David stayed in places of safety in the desert. At other times he stayed in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul looked for him. But God didn’t hand David over to him.
15David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph. There he learned that Saul had come out to kill him. 16Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh. He told David that God would make him strong. 17“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul won’t harm you. You will be king over Israel. And I will be next in command. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18The two of them made a covenant of friendship in front of the Lord. Then Jonathan went home. But David remained at Horesh.
19The people of Ziph went up to Saul at Gibeah. They said, “David is hiding among us. He’s hiding in places of safety at Horesh. Horesh is south of Jeshimon on the hill of Hakilah. 20Your Majesty, come down when it pleases you to come. It will be our duty to hand David over to you.”
21Saul replied, “May the Lord bless you because you were concerned about me. 22Make sure you are right. Go and check things out again. Find out where David usually goes. Find out who has seen him there. People tell me he’s very tricky. 23Find out about all the hiding places he uses. Come back to me with all the facts. I’ll go with you. Suppose he’s in the area. Then I’ll track him down among all the family groups of Judah.”
24So they started out. They went to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon. Maon is south of Jeshimon in the Arabah Valley. 25Saul and his men started out to look for David. David was told about it. So he went down to a rock in the Desert of Maon to hide. Saul heard he was there. So he went into the Desert of Maon to chase David.
26Saul was going along one side of the mountain. David and his men were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul. Saul and his army were closing in on David and his men. They were about to capture them. 27Just then a messenger came to Saul. He said, “Come quickly! The Philistines are attacking the land.” 28So Saul stopped chasing David. He went to fight against the Philistines. That’s why they call that place Sela Hammahlekoth. 29David left that place. He went and lived in places of safety near En Gedi.
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1 Samuel 23: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
1 Samuel 23
23
1 THEN THEY told David, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.
2 So David inquired of the Lord, Shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go, smite the Philistines and save Keilah.
3 David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more, then, if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
4 Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.
5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines with a great slaughter and brought away their cattle. So David delivered the people of Keilah.
6 When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came with an ephod in his hand.
7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by going into a town that has gates and bars.
8 Saul summoned all the men for war, to go to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.
10 Then David said, O Lord, the God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul intends to come and destroy the city of Keilah on my account.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, I beseech You, tell Your servant. And the Lord said, He will come down.
12 Then David asked, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul's hand? The Lord said, They will deliver you up.
13 Then David and his men, about 600, arose and left Keilah, going wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up going there.
14 David remained in the wilderness strongholds in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hands.
15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in the wood [at Horesh].
16 And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went into the wood to David [at Horesh] and strengthened his hand in God.
17 He said to him, Fear not; the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father knows that too.
18 And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David remained in the wood [at Horesh], and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood [at Horesh], on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?
20 Now come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down, and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hands.
21 And Saul said, The Lord bless you, for you have compassion on me.
22 Go, make yet more sure; and know and see where his haunt is and who has seen him there; for I am told he deals very craftily.
23 See and take note of all his hiding places and come back to me with the certain facts, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.
24 So they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.
25 Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told; so he went down to the rock in the Wilderness of Maon and stayed. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.
26 And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding [him] and his men to capture them.
27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, Make haste and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.
28 So Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. So they called that place the Rock of Escape.
29 David went up from there and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi.
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