1 Samuel 23
23
David in the Wilderness
1Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Kei´lah, and they rob the threshingfloors. 2Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Kei´lah. 3And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Kei´lah against the armies of the Philistines? 4Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Kei´lah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 5So David and his men went to Kei´lah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Kei´lah.
6And it came to pass, when Abi´athar the son of Ahim´elech fled to David to Kei´lah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7And it was told Saul that David was come to Kei´lah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. 8And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Kei´lah, to besiege David and his men. 9And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abi´athar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. 10Then said David, O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Kei´lah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11Will the men of Kei´lah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. 12Then said David, Will the men of Kei´lah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up. 13Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Kei´lah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Kei´lah; and he forbare to go forth. 14And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
15And David saw that Saul was 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. 17And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. 18#1 Sam 18.3. And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 #
Ps 54 Title. Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gib´e-ah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachi´lah, which is on the south of Jeshi´mon? 20Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand. 21And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have compassion on me. 22Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilely. 23See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.
24And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Ma´on, in the plain on the south of Jeshi´mon. 25Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Ma´on. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Ma´on. 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 for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. 27But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land. 28Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Se´la–hammah´lekoth.#23.28 That is, The rock of divisions. 29And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strongholds at En–ge´di.
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1 Samuel 23: KJVAAE
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
1 Samuel 23
23
David Saves the City of Keilah
1Now they told David, “The Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3But David's men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4Then David inquired of the Lord again. The Lord answered him, “Yes, go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5So David and his men went to Keilah, fought with the Philistines, brought away their livestock, and dealt them a heavy defeat. Thus David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.
6When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given#23.7 Gk Tg: Heb made a stranger of him into my hand; for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod here.” 10David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11And now, will#23.11 Q Ms Compare Gk: MT Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant.” The Lord said, “He will come down.” 12Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” The Lord said, “They will surrender you.” 13Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they wandered wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but the Lord#23.14 Q Ms Gk: MT God did not give him into his hand.
David Eludes Saul in the Wilderness
15David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh when he learned that#23.15 Or saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. 16Saul's son Jonathan set out and came to David at Horesh; there he strengthened his hand through the Lord.#23.16 Compare Q Ms Gk: MT God 17He said to him, “Do not be afraid; for the hand of my father Saul shall not find you; you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to you; my father Saul also knows that this is so.” 18Then the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19Then some Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is hiding among us in the strongholds of Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon. 20Now, O king, whenever you wish to come down, do so; and our part will be to surrender him into the king's hand.” 21Saul said, “May you be blessed by the Lord for showing me compassion! 22Go and make sure once more; find out exactly where he is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning. 23Look around and learn all the hiding places where he lurks, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” 24So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.
David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25Saul and his men went to search for him. When David was told, he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David into the wilderness of Maon. 26Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. 27Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.” 28So Saul stopped pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.#23.28 Or Rock of Division; Meaning of Heb uncertain 29#23.29 Ch 24.1 in Heb David then went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.