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
1And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors. 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 Keilah. 3And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be 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 yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 5And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew therewith 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, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. 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 summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9And David knew that Saul devised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. 10Then said David, O LORD, the God of Israel, thy servant hath surely heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down. 12Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up 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 Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
14And David abode in the wilderness in the strong holds, and remained in the hill country 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 the 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. 18And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in the strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? 20Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deriver him up into the king's hand. 21And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have had compassion on me. 22Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, 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 subtilly. 23See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me of a 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 among all 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 Arabah on the south of the desert. 25And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, 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 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 made a raid upon the land. 28So 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 dwelt in the strong holds of En-gedi.
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historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society