Kings I 23

1 And it was told David, saying, behold, the Philistines war in Keila, and they rob, they trample on the threshing-floors.

One day David heard the news, “The Philistines are attacking Keilah and stealing the grain from the threshing floors.”

2 And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and strike these Philistines? And the Lord said, Go, and you shall strike these Philistines, and shall save Keila.

So he asked advice from the Lord, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” The Lord told David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

3 And the men of David said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judea; and how shall it be if we go to Keila? Shall we go after the spoils of the Philistines?

But David's men told him, “Even here in Judah we feel afraid. If we went to Keilah to fight the Philistine armies we'd be absolutely terrified!”

4 And David enquired yet again of the Lord; and the Lord answered him, and said to him, Arise and go down to Keila, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hands.

So David asked advice from the Lord again, and the Lord told him, “Go immediately to Keilah, for I will give you victory over the Philistines.”

5 So David and his men with him went to Keila, and fought with the Philistines; and they fled from before him, and he carried off their cattle, and struck them with a great slaughter, and David rescued the inhabitants of Keila.

Then David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. They slaughtered them and drove off their livestock. By doing this David saved the people of Keilah.

6 And it came to pass when Abiathar the son of Achimelech fled to David, that he went down with David to Keila, having and ephod in his hand.

(When Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, ran away to David at Keilah he brought the ephod with him.)

7 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keila: and Saul said, God has sold him into my hands, for he is shut up, having entered into a city that has gates and bars.

When Saul found out that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, because he has locked himself inside a town with gates that can be barred shut.”

8 And Saul charged all the people to go down to war to Keila, to besiege David and his men.

So Saul called up his whole army to go and attack Keilah and to besiege David and his men.

9 And David knew that Saul spoke openly of mischief against him: and David said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod of the Lord.

When David learned that Saul was plotting to attack him, he asked Abiathar the priest, “Please bring the ephod.”

10 And David said, Lord God of Israel, your servant has indeed heard, that Saul seeks to come against Keila to destroy the city on my account.

David prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, I your servant have been clearly told that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.

11 Will [the place] be shut up? And now will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, tell your servant.

Are the town leaders of Keilah going to hand me over to him? Is Saul going to come, as I have heard? Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.” “Yes, he'll come,” the Lord replied.

12 And the Lord said, It will be shut up.

“And will the town leaders of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” David asked. “Yes, they will,” the Lord replied.

13 And David arose, and the men with him, in number about four hundred, and they went forth from Keila, and went wherever they could go: and it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keila, and he forbore to come.

So David and his men, who numbered around six hundred, left Keilah and moved around from place to place. When Saul discovered that David had escaped from Keilah, he didn't bother going there.

14 And he lived in Maserem in the wilderness, in the narrow [passes]; and lived in the wilderness in mount Ziph, in the dry country. And Saul sought him continually, but the Lord delivered him not into his hands.

David set up camp in the wilderness strongholds, staying in the mountains of the Desert of Ziph. Saul searched for him continually, but God did not let David be captured.

15 And David perceived that Saul went forth to seek David; and David was in the dry mountain in the New Ziph.

While David was staying at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he found out that Saul was on his way to murder him.

16 And Jonathan son of Saul rose, and went to David to Caene, and strengthened his hands in the Lord.

Saul's son Jonathan went to see David in Horesh and encouraged him to go on trusting in God, telling him,

17 And he said to him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to you; and Saul my father knows it.

“Don't worry, because my father Saul is never going to find you. You're going to be king of Israel, and I'll be your deputy. Even my father Saul knows this.”

18 So they both made a covenant before the Lord; and David lived in Caene, and Jonathan went to his home.

The two of them made an agreement before the Lord. David stayed in Horesh and Jonathan went home.

19 And the Ziphites came up out of the dry country to Saul to the hill, saying, Behold, is not David hidden with us in Messara, in the narrows in Caene in the hill of Echela, which is on the right of Jessaemon?

Then the people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David is hiding in our area, in the strongholds in Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, in the southern wastelands.

20 And now [according to] all the king's desire to come down, let him come down to us; they have shut him up into the hands of the king.

So, Your Majesty, please come whenever you want, and we'll make sure to hand him over to you.”

21 And Saul said to them, Blessed [be] you of the Lord, for you have been grieved on my account.

“The Lord bless you for thinking about me,” Saul replied.

22 Go, I pray you, and make preparations yet, and notice his place where his foot shall be, quickly, in that place which you spoke of, lest by any means he should deal craftily.

“Please go and make absolutely sure you know exactly where he is—where he stays and who has seen him there—because people tell me that he's very devious.

23 Take notice, then, and learn, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass that if he is in the land, I will search him out amongst all the thousands of Juda.

Look for and mark down all his hiding places. Then come back to me when you're sure, and I'll go back with you. If he's here in the country, I will hunt him down among all the people of Judah.”

24 And the Ziphites arose, and went before Saul: and David and his men [were] in the wilderness of Maon, westward, to the right of Jessaemon.

So the people of Ziph set off, returning to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon in the Arabah Valley in the southern wastelands.

25 And Saul and his men went to seek him: and they brought word to David, and he went down to the rock that was in the wilderness of Maon: and Saul heard, and followed after David to the wilderness of Maon.

Saul and his men started hunting for him. When David found out, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he chased after David in the Desert of Maon.

26 And Saul and his men go on one side of the mountain, and David and his men are on the other side of the mountain: and David was hiding himself to escape from Saul: and Saul and his men encamped against David and his men, in order to take them.

Saul was traveling along one side of the mountain, while David and his men were on the other side, rushing to get away. But just as Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men, about to capture them,

27 And there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste you, and come here, for the Philistines have invaded the land.

a messenger arrived to tell Saul, “Come at once! The Philistines have invaded the country!”

28 So Saul returned from following after David, and went to meet the Philistines: therefore that place was called The divided Rock.

So Saul had to stop chasing David and went to confront the Philistines. That's why the place is called the “Rock of Escape.”

29 And David rose up from thence, and lived in the narrow passes of Engaddi.

Then David left and went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.