1 Samuel 23
23
David Saves the Town of Keilah
1David heard that the Philistines were attacking the town of Keilah and were stealing the newly harvested corn. 2So he asked the LORD, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines?”
“Yes,” the LORD answered. “Attack them and save Keilah.”
3But David's men said to him, “We have enough to be afraid of here in Judah; it will be much worse if we go to Keilah and attack the Philistine forces!” 4So David consulted the LORD again, and the LORD said to him, “Go and attack Keilah, because I will give you victory over the Philistines.” 5So David and his men went to Keilah and attacked the Philistines; they killed many of them and took their livestock. And that was how David saved the town.
6When Abiathar son of Ahimelech escaped and joined David in Keilah, he took the ephod with him.
7Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has put him in my power. David has trapped himself by going into a walled town with fortified gates.” 8So Saul called his troops to war, to march against Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9When David heard that Saul was planning to attack him, he said to the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod here.” 10Then David said, “LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah and destroy it on account of me, your servant. 11Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to Saul? Will Saul really come, as I have heard? LORD, God of Israel, I beg you to answer me!”
The LORD answered, “Saul will come.”
12“And will the citizens of Keilah hand my men and me over to Saul?” David asked again.
“They will,” the LORD answered.
13So David and his men — about 600 in all — left Keilah at once and kept on the move. When Saul heard that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up his plan.
David in the Hill Country
14David stayed in hiding in the hill country, in the wilderness near Ziph. Saul was always trying to find him, but God did not hand David over to him. 15David saw that Saul was out to kill him.
David was at Horesh, in the wilderness near Ziph. 16Jonathan went to him there and encouraged him with assurances of God's protection, 17saying to him, “Don't be afraid. My father Saul won't be able to harm you. He knows very well that you are the one who will be the king of Israel and that I will be next in rank to you.” 18#1 Sam 18.3The two of them made a sacred promise of friendship to each other. David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 #
Ps 54 (Title) Some people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is hiding in our territory at Horesh on Mount Hachilah, in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. 20We know, Your Majesty, how much you want to capture him; so come to our territory, and we will make sure that you catch him.”
21Saul answered, “May the LORD bless you for being so kind to me! 22Go and make sure once more; find out for certain where he is and who has seen him there. I hear that he is very cunning. 23Find out exactly the places where he hides, and be sure to bring back a report to me straight away. Then I will go with you, and if he is still in the region, I will hunt him down, even if I have to search the whole land of Judah.”
24So they left and returned to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in a desolate valley in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. 25Saul and his men set out to look for David, but he heard about it and went to a rocky hill in the wilderness of Maon and stayed there. When Saul heard about this, he went after David. 26Saul and his men were on one side of the hill, separated from David and his men, who were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul and his men, who were closing in on them and were about to capture them. 27Just then a messenger arrived and said to Saul, “Come back at once! The Philistines are invading the country!” 28So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why that place is called Separation Hill. 29David left and went to the region of Engedi, where he stayed in hiding.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
1 Samuel 23
23
Saul chases David
1David was told, “The Philistines are now attacking Keilah and looting the threshing floors!”
2David asked the LORD, “Should I go and fight these Philistines?”
“Go!” the LORD answered. “Fight the Philistines and save Keilah!”
3But David’s men said to him, “Look how frightened we are here in Judah. It’ll be worse if we go to Keilah against Philistine forces!”
4So David asked the LORD again, and the LORD reaffirmed, “Yes, go down to Keilah, because I will hand the Philistines over to you.”
5Then David and his soldiers went to Keilah and fought the Philistines, driving off their cattle and defeating them decisively. And that’s how David saved the residents of Keilah.
6Now after Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son, fled to David, he had accompanied David to Keilah,#23.6 LXX; MT lacks he had accompanied David to. bringing a priestly vest#23.6 Heb ephod with him. 7When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over#23.7 LXX, Targ; MT made a stranger of him to me now because he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars!” 8So Saul called up all his troops for war, to go down to Keilah and attack David and his soldiers.
9When David learned that Saul was planning to harm him, he told the priest Abiathar, “Bring the priestly vest now.”
10Then David said, “LORD God of Israel, I, your servant, have heard that Saul plans on coming to Keilah and will destroy the town because of me. 11LORD God of Israel, will Saul come down as your servant has heard?#23.11 DSS (4QSamb), LXX; MT LORD God of Israel, will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? Cf 23:12a. Please tell your servant.”
“Yes, he will come down,” the LORD answered.
12Next David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my soldiers over to Saul?”
“Yes, they will hand you over,” the LORD replied.
13So David and his troops—approximately six hundred men—got up and left Keilah. They kept moving, going from one place to the next. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he didn’t go there.
14David lived in the fortresses in the wilderness and in the hills of the Ziph wilderness. Saul searched for him constantly, but God did not hand David over to Saul. 15While David was at Horesh in the Ziph wilderness he learned that Saul was looking to kill him. 16Saul’s son Jonathan came to David at Horesh and encouraged him with God. 17Jonathan said to him, “Don’t be afraid! My father Saul’s hand won’t touch you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18Then the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David stayed at Horesh, but Jonathan went back home.
19Some Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah. “David is hiding among us in the fortresses at Horesh on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon,” they said. 20“So whenever you want to come down, Your Majesty, do it! Leave it to us to hand him over to the king.”
21“The LORD bless you because you have shown this kindness to me!” Saul said. 22“Go now and get everything ready. Find out everything you can: where he stays, where he goes, who has seen him. I am told he is very shrewd. 23Find out every hiding place he uses there and come back to me when you know for certain. I will then go with you. If David is in the area, I will hunt him down among any of Judah’s clans!” 24So they got up and left for Ziph ahead of Saul.
Meanwhile, David and his soldiers were in the Maon wilderness in the desert plain south of Jeshimon. 25When Saul and his troops went looking for him, David was told about it, so he went down to a certain rock there and stayed in the Maon wilderness. When Saul heard that, he went into the Maon wilderness after David. 26Saul was going around one side of a hill there while David and his soldiers were going around the other. David was hurrying to get away from Saul while Saul and his troops were trying to surround David and his soldiers in order to capture them. 27But a messenger suddenly came to Saul. “Come quick!” he said. “The Philistines have invaded the land!” 28So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to fight the Philistines. That’s why that place is called Escape Rock. 29#23.29 24:1 in HebThen David went from there and lived at the En-gedi fortresses.
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