1 Kings 23
23
1And they told David, saying: Behold, the Philistines fight against Ceila, and they rob the barns.
2Therefore David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said to David: Go. And thou shalt smite the Philistines, and shalt save Ceila.
3And the men that were with David said to him: Behold, we are in fear here in Judea. How much more if we go to Ceila against the bands of the Philistines?
4Therefore David consulted the Lord again. And he answered and said to him: Arise, and go to Ceila: for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
5David therefore, and his men, went to Ceila, and fought against the Philistines; and brought away their cattle; and made a great slaughter of them. And David saved the inhabitants of Ceila.
6Now at that time, when Abiathar the son of Achimelech fled to David to Ceila, he came down having an ephod with him.
7And it was told Saul that David was come to Ceila. And Saul said: The Lord hath delivered him into my hands; and he is shut up, being come into a city, that hath gates and bars.
8And Saul commanded all the people to go down to fight against Ceila, and to besiege David, and his men.
9Now when David understood, that Saul secretly prepared evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest: Bring hither the ephod.
10And David said: O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath heard a report, that Saul designeth to come to Ceila, to destroy the city for my sake.
11Will the men of Ceila deliver me into his hands? And will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, tell thy servant. And the Lord said: He will come down.
12And David said: Will the men of Ceila deliver me, and my men, into the hands of Saul? And the Lord said: They will deliver thee up.
13Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose, and departing from Ceila, wandered up and down uncertain where they should stay. And it was told Saul that David was fled from Ceila, and had escaped: wherefore he forbore to go out.
14But David abode in the desert in strongholds; and he remained in a mountain of the desert of Ziph, in a woody hill. And Saul sought him always: but the Lord delivered him not into his hands.
15And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life. And David was in the desert of Ziph, in a wood.
16And Jonathan the son of Saul arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hands in God. And he said to him:
17Fear not. For the hand of my father Saul shall not find thee: and thou shalt reign over Israel: and I shall be next to thee. Yea, and my father knoweth this.
18And the two made a covenant before the Lord. And David abode in the wood: but Jonathan returned to his house.
19And the Ziphites went up to Saul in Gabaa, saying: Lo, doth not David lie hid with us in the strongholds of the wood, in mount Hachila, which is on the right hand of the desert?
20Now therefore come down, as thy soul hath desired to come down: and it shall be our business to deliver him into the king's hands.
21And Saul said: Blessed be ye of the Lord; for you have pitied my case.
22Go therefore, I pray you, and use all diligence, and curiously inquire, and consider the place where his foot is, and who hath seen him there. For he thinketh of me, that I lie craftily in wait for him.
23Consider and see all his lurking holes, wherein he is hid; and return to me with the certainty of the thing, that I may go with you. And if be should even go down into the earth to hide himself, I will search him out in all the thousands of Juda.
24And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. And David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the plain at the right hand of Jesimon.
25Then Saul and his men went to seek him. And it was told David: and forthwith he went down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul had heard of it he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
26And Saul went on this side of the mountain: and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain: and David despaired of being able to escape from the face of Sau. And Saul and his men encompassed David and his men round about to take them.
27And a messenger came to Saul, saying: Make haste to come, for the Philistines have poured in themselves upon the land.
28Wherefore Saul returned, leaving the pursuit of David, and went to meet the Philistines. For this cause they called that place, the Rock of Division.
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1 Kings 23: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
1 Samuel 23
23
David Saves the City of Keilah
1David was asked, “Did you know that the Philistines are fighting against Keilah? They are robbing the threshing floors.” #23:1 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks.
2David asked the Lord, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?”
“Go,” the Lord told David, “attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
3David’s men told him, “We’re afraid of staying here in Judah. How much more ⌞afraid do you think we’ll be⌟ if we go to Keilah against the Philistine army?”
4David asked the Lord again, and the Lord answered him. He said, “Go to Keilah. I’m giving you the power to defeat the Philistines.”
5David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines, drove off their livestock, and decisively defeated them. So David rescued the people who lived in Keilah.
6When Ahimelech’s son Abiathar fled to David at Keilah, Abiathar brought a priestly ephod #23:6 Ephod is a technical term for a part of the priest’s clothes. Its exact usage and shape are unknown. with him.
7When Saul was told that David went to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hands. He has trapped himself by going into a city which has ⌞a gate with⌟ a double door ⌞held shut by⌟ a bar.” 8So Saul called together all the troops to go to war and blockade Keilah, where David and his men were.
9When David learned that Saul was planning to harm him, he told the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod.” 10Then David said, “Lord God of Israel, I have actually heard that Saul is going to come to Keilah and destroy the city on account of me. 11Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come here as I have heard? Lord God of Israel, please tell me.”
“He will come,” the Lord answered.
12“Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” David asked.
“They will hand you over,” the Lord answered.
13So David and his men, about six hundred #23:13 Masoretic Text; Greek “four hundred.” in all, left Keilah. They went wherever they could go. Then Saul was told, “David has escaped from Keilah!” So he gave up the campaign. 14David lived in fortified camps in the desert, and he lived in fortified camps in the mountains of the desert of Ziph. Saul was always searching for him, but God didn’t let him capture David.
David in the Desert of Ziph
15David was afraid because #23:15 Or “David saw that.” Saul had come to kill him at Horesh in the desert of Ziph. 16Saul’s son Jonathan came to David at Horesh. He strengthened David’s ⌞faith⌟ in the Lord.#23:16 Dead Sea Scrolls, Greek; Masoretic Text “in God.” 17“Don’t be afraid,” he told David, “my father Saul won’t find you. You will rule Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18Both of them made a pledge in the Lord’s presence. David stayed in Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19Then the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah. They said, “David is hiding with us in fortified camps at Horesh on the hills of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon. 20Come, Your Majesty, whenever you want. We will hand him over to you.”
21Saul responded, “The Lord bless you for feeling sorry for me! 22Please make more plans, and watch where he goes. Who has seen him there? I’m told he’s very clever. 23Watch and learn about all the hiding places where he may be hiding, and come back to me with the facts. Then I’ll go with you, and if he’s in the country, I’ll search for him among all the families of Judah.” 24They left for Ziph ahead of Saul.
David in the Desert of Maon
David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the plains south of Jeshimon. 25When Saul and his men came to look for him, David was told the news. So he went to his mountain stronghold in the desert of Maon. Saul heard about it and pursued David into the desert of Maon. 26Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, and Saul and his men were going around ⌞the mountain⌟ toward David and his men, trying to capture them. 27Then a messenger came to Saul and said, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the country.”
28Saul gave up pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. So that place was called Slippery Rock.#23:28 1 Samuel 23:29 in English Bibles is 1 Samuel 24:1 in the Hebrew Bible. 29From there David went to stay in the fortified camps of En Gedi.
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