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.

And they declare to David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are spoiling 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.

And David inquires of YHWH, saying, “Do I go? And have I struck among these Philistines?” And YHWH says to David, “Go, and you have struck among the Philistines, and saved 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?

And David’s men say to him, “Behold, we here in Judah are afraid; and how much more when we go to Keilah, to the ranks of the Philistines?”

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.

And David adds again to inquire of YHWH, and YHWH answers him and says, “Rise, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand.”

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.

And David goes, and his men, to Keilah, and fights with the Philistines, and leads away their livestock, and strikes among them [with] a great striking, and David saves the inhabitants 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.

And it comes to pass, in the fleeing of Abiathar son of Ahimelech to David, to Keilah, an ephod came down in his hand.

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.

And it is declared to Saul that David has come to Keilah, and Saul says, “God has made him known for my hand, for he has been shut in, to enter into a city of doors and bar.”

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

And Saul summons all the people to the battle, to go down to Keilah, to lay siege to David and to 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.

And David knows that Saul is devising the evil against him and says to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod near.”

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.

And David says, “YHWH, God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.

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.

Do the possessors of Keilah shut me up into his hand? Does Saul come down as Your servant has heard? YHWH, God of Israel, please declare [it] to Your servant.” And YHWH says, “He comes down.”

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

And David says, “Do the possessors of Keilah shut up me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And YHWH says, “They shut [you] up.”

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.

And David rises—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 it has been declared to Saul that David has escaped from Keilah, and he ceases to go out.

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.

And David abides in the wilderness, in fortresses, and abides in the hill-country, in the wilderness of Ziph; and Saul seeks him [for] all the days, and God has not given him into his hand.

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

And David sees that Saul has come out to seek his life, and David [is] in the wilderness of Ziph, in a forest.

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

And Jonathan son of Saul rises, and goes to David [in the] forest, and strengthens his hand in God,

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.

and says to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of my father Saul does not find you, and you reign over Israel, and I am to you for second, and also so knows my father Saul.”

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

And both of them make a covenant before YHWH; and David abides in the forest, and Jonathan has gone to his house.

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?

And the Ziphites go up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding himself with us in fortresses, in the forest, in the height of Hachilah, which [is] on the south of the desolate place?

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.

And now, by all the desire of your soul, O king, to come down, come down, and ours [is] to shut him up into the hand of the king.”

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

And Saul says, “Blessed [are] you of YHWH, for you have pity on me;

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.

now go prepare yet, and know and see his place where his foot is; who has seen him there? For [one] has said to me, He is very cunning.

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 among all the thousands of Juda.

And see and know of all the hiding places where he hides himself, and you have turned back prepared to me, and I have gone with you, and it has been, if he is in the land, that I have searched him out through all the thousands 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.

And 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.

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.

And Saul and his men go to seek, and they declare [it] to David, and he goes down the rock, and abides in the wilderness of Maon; and Saul hears, and pursues after David [to] the wilderness 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.

And Saul goes on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain, and David is hurried to go from the face of Saul, and Saul and his men are surrounding David and his men, to catch them.

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

And a messenger has come to Saul, saying, “Hurry, and come, for the Philistines have pushed against the land.”

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

And Saul turns back from pursuing after David, and goes to meet the Philistines, therefore they have called that place “The Rock of Divisions.”

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

And David goes up there, and abides in fortresses [at] En-gedi.