23
1 David
was told, “Behold,
the Philistines
are fighting
against Keilah,
and are robbing
the threshing
floors.”
2 Therefore
David inquired of
the LORD, saying, “Shall
I go and
strike these
Philistines?”
The LORD said to
David, “Go strike
the Philistines,
and save Keilah.”
3 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?”
4 Then
David inquired of
the LORD yet
again. The LORD
answered him, and
said, “Arise, go
down to Keilah;
for I will
deliver the
Philistines into
your hand.”
5 David
and his men
went to Keilah
and fought with
the Philistines,
and brought away
their livestock,
and killed them
with a great
slaughter. So
David saved the
inhabitants of
Keilah.
6 When Abiathar
the son
of Ahimelech fled
to David to
Keilah, he came
down with an ephod
in his hand.
7 Saul
was told that
David had come
to Keilah.
Saul said, “God
has delivered him
into my hand,
for he is
shut in by entering
into a town
that has gates
and bars.”
8 Saul
summoned all the
people to war,
to go down
to Keilah to
besiege David and
his men.
9 David
knew that Saul
was devising mischief
against him. He
said to Abiathar
the priest, “Bring
the ephod here.”
10 Then
David said, “O
LORD, the God
of Israel, your
servant has surely
heard that Saul
seeks to come
to Keilah to
destroy the city
for my sake.
11 Will
the men of
Keilah deliver me
up into his
hand? Will Saul
come down, as
your servant has
heard? LORD, the
God of Israel,
I beg you,
tell your servant.”
The LORD said, “He
will come down.”
12 Then
David said, “Will
the men of
Keilah deliver me
and my men
into the hand
of Saul?”
The LORD said, “They
will deliver you
up.”
13 Then
David and his
men, who were
about six hundred,
arose and departed
out of Keilah
and went wherever
they could go.
Saul was told
that David had
escaped from
Keilah; and he
gave up going
there.
14 David
stayed in the
wilderness in the
strongholds, and
remained in the
hill country in
the wilderness of
Ziph. Saul sought
him every day,
but God didn’t
deliver him into
his hand.
15 David
saw that Saul
had come out
to seek his
life. David was
in the wilderness
of Ziph in
the woods.
16 Jonathan,
Saul’s son, arose
and went to
David into
the woods, and
strengthened his
hand in God.
17 He
said to him, “Don’t
be afraid, for
the hand of
Saul my father won’t
find you; and
you will be
king over Israel,
and I will
be next to
you; and Saul
my father knows
that also.”
18 They
both made a
covenant before
the LORD. Then
David stayed in
the woods and
Jonathan went to
his house.
19 Then
the Ziphites came
up to Saul
to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t
David hide himself
with us in
the strongholds in
the woods, in the
hill of Hachilah,
which is on the
south of the
desert?
20 Now
therefore, O king,
come down.
According to all
the desire of
your soul to
come down; and
our part will
be to deliver
him up into
the king’s hand.”
21 Saul said,
“You are blessed
by the LORD,
for you have
had compassion on
me.
22 Please
go make yet
more sure, and
know and see
his place where
his haunt is,
and who has
seen him there;
for I have
been told that he
is very cunning.
23 See
therefore, and
take knowledge of
all the lurking
places where he
hides himself; and
come again to
me with certainty,
and I will
go with you.
It shall happen,
if he is
in the land, that
I will search
him out among
all the thousands
of Judah.”
24 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.
25 Saul
and his men went
to seek 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
in the wilderness
of Maon.
26 Saul
went on this
side of the
mountain, and
David and his men
on that side
of the mountain;
and David hurried
to get away
for fear of
Saul, for Saul
and his men surrounded
David and his men
to take them.
27 But
a messenger came
to Saul, saying, “Hurry
and come, for
the Philistines
have made a
raid on the land!”
28 So
Saul returned from
pursuing David,
and went against
the Philistines.
Therefore they
called that
place Sela Hammahlekoth.
29 David went up from there and
lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.