1 Samuel 23
23
1And they declare to David, saying, ‘Lo, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are spoiling the threshing-floors.’
2And David asketh at Jehovah, saying, ‘Do I go? — and have I smitten among these Philistines?’ And Jehovah saith unto David, ‘Go, and thou hast smitten among the Philistines, and saved Keilah.’
3And David's men say unto him, ‘Lo, we here in Judah are afraid; and how much more when we go to Keilah, unto the ranks of the Philistines?’
4And David addeth again to ask at Jehovah, and Jehovah answereth him, and saith, ‘Rise, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into thy hand.’
5And David goeth, and his men, to Keilah, and fighteth with the Philistines, and leadeth away their cattle, and smiteth among them — a great smiting, and David saveth the inhabitants of Keilah.
6And it cometh to pass, in the fleeing of Abiathar son of Ahimelech unto David, to Keilah, an ephod came down in his hand.
7And it is declared to Saul that David hath come in to Keilah, and Saul saith, ‘God hath made him known for my hand, for he hath been shut in, to enter into a city of doors and bar.’
8And Saul summoneth the whole of the people to battle, to go down to Keilah, to lay siege unto David and unto his men.
9And David knoweth that against him Saul is devising the evil, and saith unto Abiathar the priest, ‘Bring nigh the ephod.’
10And David saith, ‘Jehovah, God of Israel, Thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul is seeking to come in unto Keilah, to destroy the city on mine account.
11Do the possessors of Keilah shut me up into his hand? doth Saul come down as Thy servant hath heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, declare, I pray Thee, to Thy servant.’ And Jehovah saith, ‘He doth come down.’
12And David saith, ‘Do the possessors of Keilah shut me up, and my men, into the hand of Saul?’ And Jehovah saith, ‘They shut [thee] up.’
13And David riseth — and his men — about six hundred men, and they go out from Keilah, and go up and down where they go up and down; and to Saul it hath been declared that David hath escaped from Keilah, and he ceaseth to go out.
14And David abideth in the wilderness, in fortresses, and abideth in the hill-country, in the wilderness of Ziph; and Saul seeketh him all the days, and God hath not given him into his hand.
15And David seeth that Saul hath come out to seek his life, and David [is] in the wilderness of Ziph, in a forest.
16And Jonathan son of Saul riseth, and goeth unto David to the forest, and strengtheneth his hand in God,
17and saith unto him, ‘Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father doth not find thee, and thou dost reign over Israel, and I am to thee for second, and also so knoweth Saul my father.’
18And they make a covenant both of them before Jehovah; and David abideth in the forest, and Jonathan hath gone to his house.
19And the Ziphites go up unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, ‘Is not David hiding himself with us in fortresses, in the forest, in the height of Hachilah, which [is] on the south of the desolate place?
20And, now, by all the desire of thy soul, O king, to come down, come down, and ours [is] to shut him up into the hand of the king.’
21And Saul saith, ‘Blessed [are] ye of Jehovah, for ye have pity on me;
22go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his foot is; who hath seen him there? for [one] hath said unto me, He is very subtile.
23And see and know of all the hiding-places where he hideth himself, and ye have turned back unto me prepared, and I have gone with you, and it hath been, if he is in the land, that I have searched him out through all the thousands of Judah.’
24And they rise and go to Ziph before Saul, and David and his men [are] in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain, at the south of the desolate place.
25And Saul and his men go to seek, and they declare to David, and he goeth down the rock, and abideth in the wilderness of Maon; and Saul heareth, and pursueth after David [to] the wilderness of Maon.
26And Saul goeth on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain, and David is hastened to go from the face of Saul, and Saul and his men are compassing David and his men, to catch them.
27And a messenger hath come in unto Saul, saying, ‘Haste, and come, for the Philistines have pushed against the land.’
28And Saul turneth back from pursuing after David, and goeth to meet the Philistines, therefore they have called that place ‘The Rock of Divisions.’
29And David goeth up thence, and abideth in fortresses [at] En-gedi.
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1 Samuel 23: YLT98
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1 Samuel 23
23
Saul chases David
1David was told, “The Philistines are now attacking Keilah and looting the threshing floors!”
2David asked the LORD, “Should I go and fight these Philistines?”
“Go!” the LORD answered. “Fight the Philistines and save Keilah!”
3But David’s men said to him, “Look how frightened we are here in Judah. It’ll be worse if we go to Keilah against Philistine forces!”
4So David asked the LORD again, and the LORD reaffirmed, “Yes, go down to Keilah, because I will hand the Philistines over to you.”
5Then David and his soldiers went to Keilah and fought the Philistines, driving off their cattle and defeating them decisively. And that’s how David saved the residents of Keilah.
6Now after Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son, fled to David, he had accompanied David to Keilah,#23.6 LXX; MT lacks he had accompanied David to. bringing a priestly vest#23.6 Heb ephod with him. 7When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over#23.7 LXX, Targ; MT made a stranger of him to me now because he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars!” 8So Saul called up all his troops for war, to go down to Keilah and attack David and his soldiers.
9When David learned that Saul was planning to harm him, he told the priest Abiathar, “Bring the priestly vest now.”
10Then David said, “LORD God of Israel, I, your servant, have heard that Saul plans on coming to Keilah and will destroy the town because of me. 11LORD God of Israel, will Saul come down as your servant has heard?#23.11 DSS (4QSamb), LXX; MT LORD God of Israel, will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? Cf 23:12a. Please tell your servant.”
“Yes, he will come down,” the LORD answered.
12Next David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my soldiers over to Saul?”
“Yes, they will hand you over,” the LORD replied.
13So David and his troops—approximately six hundred men—got up and left Keilah. They kept moving, going from one place to the next. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he didn’t go there.
14David lived in the fortresses in the wilderness and in the hills of the Ziph wilderness. Saul searched for him constantly, but God did not hand David over to Saul. 15While David was at Horesh in the Ziph wilderness he learned that Saul was looking to kill him. 16Saul’s son Jonathan came to David at Horesh and encouraged him with God. 17Jonathan said to him, “Don’t be afraid! My father Saul’s hand won’t touch you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18Then the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David stayed at Horesh, but Jonathan went back home.
19Some Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah. “David is hiding among us in the fortresses at Horesh on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon,” they said. 20“So whenever you want to come down, Your Majesty, do it! Leave it to us to hand him over to the king.”
21“The LORD bless you because you have shown this kindness to me!” Saul said. 22“Go now and get everything ready. Find out everything you can: where he stays, where he goes, who has seen him. I am told he is very shrewd. 23Find out every hiding place he uses there and come back to me when you know for certain. I will then go with you. If David is in the area, I will hunt him down among any of Judah’s clans!” 24So they got up and left for Ziph ahead of Saul.
Meanwhile, David and his soldiers were in the Maon wilderness in the desert plain south of Jeshimon. 25When Saul and his troops went looking for him, David was told about it, so he went down to a certain rock there and stayed in the Maon wilderness. When Saul heard that, he went into the Maon wilderness after David. 26Saul was going around one side of a hill there while David and his soldiers were going around the other. David was hurrying to get away from Saul while Saul and his troops were trying to surround David and his soldiers in order to capture them. 27But a messenger suddenly came to Saul. “Come quick!” he said. “The Philistines have invaded the land!” 28So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to fight the Philistines. That’s why that place is called Escape Rock. 29#23.29 24:1 in HebThen David went from there and lived at the En-gedi fortresses.
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