1 Samuel 23
23
David Saves the City of Keilah
1Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against #Josh. 15:44Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2Therefore David #See ch. 22:10inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack 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?” 4Then David #[See ver. 2 above] inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, #ver. 14; Josh. 24:11; Judg. 7:7; 20:28for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 # ch. 22:20 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. 7Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, #ch. 30:7; [Num. 27:21]“Bring the ephod here.” 10Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And 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?” And the Lord said, #ver. 20“They will surrender you.” 13Then David and his men, #ch. 25:13; 27:2; [ch. 22:2; 30:9, 10] who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went #[2 Sam. 15:20]wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country #See Ps. 63 of the wilderness of #Josh. 15:24Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
Saul Pursues David
15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. 17And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. #ch. 24:20; [ch. 20:31]Saul my father also knows this.” 18#ch. 18:3; 20:8, 16, 42; [2 Sam. 21:7]And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 # ch. 26:1; See Ps. 54 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of #Num. 21:20Jeshimon? 20Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, #ver. 12and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.” 21And Saul said, #See Ruth 2:20 “May you be blessed by the Lord, #[ch. 22:8]for you have had compassion on me. 22Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning. 23See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, 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.” 24And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.
Now David and his men were #ch. 25:2; Josh. 15:55 in the wilderness of Maon, #See Deut. 1:1 in the Arabah to the south of #[See ver. 19 above]Jeshimon. 25And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” 28So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.#23:28 Or Rock of Divisions 29#23:29 Ch 24:1 in Hebrew And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of #Josh. 15:62; 2 Chr. 20:2; Song 1:14; Ezek. 47:10Engedi.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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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.