1 Samuel 23

1 David was told, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.”

Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Ke'ilah, and they are plundering 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.”

Thereupon David asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite among these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go and smite among the Philistines, and deliver Ke'ilah.

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?”

And David's men said unto him, Behold, here in Judah are we afraid: how much more then if we should go to Ke'ilah against the battle-arrays 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.”

Then David asked yet again counsel of the Lord. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, Go down to Ke'ilah; for I [will] deliver the Philistines into thy 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.

So David and his men went to Ke'ilah; and he fought with the Philistines, and lead away their cattle, and smote among them a great slaughter. So David delivered the inhabitants of Ke'ilah.

6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.

And it came to pass, when Ebyathar the son of Achimelech, fled over to David, to Ke'ilah, that the ephod came down with him.

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.”

And it was told to Saul that David was come to Ke'ilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

8 Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Ke'ilah, 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.”

And David understood that Saul secretly devised mischief against him; and he said to Ebyathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

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.

Then said David, O Lord, God of Israel, thy servant hath heard for certain that Saul seeketh to come to Ke'ilah, 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.”

Will the men of Ke'ilah surrender me 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.

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.”

Then said David, Will the men of Ke'ilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul! And the Lord said, They will surrender.

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.

Then arose David and his men, about six hundred men, and departed out of Ke'ilah, and wandered about whithersoever they could go. And when it was told to Saul that David was escaped from Ke'ilah, he forbore to go forth.

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 did not deliver him into his hand.

And David remained in the wilderness in strong-holds, and abode on the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him all the time, but God delivered him not 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.

And David saw that Saul was gone forth to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the forest.

16 Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God.

And Jonathan, the son of Saul, arose and went to David into the forest, and strengthened his hand in God.

17 He said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you; and you will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also.”

And he said unto him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father will not find thee; and thou wilt be king over Israel, and I will be next unto thee; and also Saul my father knoweth this.

18 They both made a covenant before the LORD. Then David stayed in the woods and Jonathan went to his house.

And they made, both of them, a covenant before the Lord: and David remained in the forest; but Jonathan went to his house.

19 Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Does not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?

Then came up the Ziphites unto Saul to Gib'ah, saying, Behold, David is hiding himself with us in the strong-holds in the forest, on the hill of Chachilah, which is on the right 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.”

And now in accordance with all the longing of thy soul, O king, to come down, come down; and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand.

21 Saul said, “You are blessed by the LORD, for you have had compassion on me.

And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have pity 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.

Go, I pray you, make yet more preparations, and remark and see his place where his foot may be, who hath seen him there; for I am told that he dealeth with great subtilty.

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.”

See therefore, and remark every one of all the lurking-places where he usually 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.

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.

And 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 right 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.

And Saul and his men went to make a search. And they told it to David: wherefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Ma'on. And when Saul heard this, he pursued after David into the wilderness of Ma'on.

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.

And 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 before Saul; and Saul and his men were compassing David and his men to seize them.

27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land!”

But a messenger came unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

28 So Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth.

Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammachlekoth.

29 David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

And David went up from there, and dwelt in strong-holds of 'En-gedi.