1 Samuel 23
23
1And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors. 2And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. 3But David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? 4And David inquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into thy hand. 5And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought against the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Then Saul said, God#GodHebrew: Elohim has cast him off into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a city that has gates and bars. 8And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9And when David knew that Saul devised mischief against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod. 10Then said David, Jehovah, God#GodHebrew: Elohim of Israel, thy servant hath heard for certain that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? Jehovah, God#GodHebrew: Elohim of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down. 12And David said, Will the citizens of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up. 13Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, and he forbore to go forth.
14And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds, and abode in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God#GodHebrew: Elohim did not give him into his hand. 15And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. 16And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God#GodHebrew: Elohim 17And he said to him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father will not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next to thee; and that also Saul my father knows. 18And they two made a covenant before Jehovah; and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19And the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the waste? 20And now, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and it will be for us to deliver him up into the king's hand. 21And Saul said, Blessed be ye of Jehovah; for ye have compassion upon me. 22Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his track is, who has seen him there; for it is told me that he deals very subtilly. 23And see, and ascertain all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come ye again to me with sure information, that I may go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout the thousands of Judah. 24And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul; but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of the waste. 25And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David; and he came down from the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard that, and he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away from Saul; and Saul and his men sought to surround David and his men to take them. 27But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste thee and come; for the Philistines have made a raid against the land. 28And Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines; therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth. 29And David went up from thence, and abode in the strongholds of Engedi.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
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.