1 Samuel 23

1 And they declare to David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are spoiling the threshing-floors.”

Then they tolde Dauid, saying, Beholde, the Philistims fight against Keilah, and spoyle the barnes.

2 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.”

Therfore Dauid asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shal I goe and smite these Philistims? And the Lord answered Dauid, Go and smite the Philistims, and saue Keilah.

3 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?”

And Dauids men said vnto him, See, we be afrayde here in Iudah, howe much more if we come to Keilah against the hoste of ye Philistims?

4 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.”

Then Dauid asked counsell of the Lord againe. And the Lord answered him, and sayd, Arise, go downe to Keilah: for I wil deliuer the Philistims into thine hand.

5 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.

So Dauid and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistims, and brought away their cattel, and smote them with a great slaughter: thus Dauid saued the inhabitants of Keilah.

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

(And when Abiathar the sonne of Ahimelech fled to Dauid to Keilah, he brought an Ephod with him)

7 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.”

And it was tolde Saul that Dauid was come to Keilah, and Saul sayd, God hath deliuered him into mine hand: for he is shut in, seeing he is come into a citie that hath gates and barres.

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

Then Saul called all the people together to warre, for to go downe to Keilah, and to besiege Dauid and his men.

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

And Dauid hauing knowledge that Saul imagined mischiefe against him, saide to Abiathar the Priest, Bring the Ephod.

10 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.

Then sayde Dauid, O Lord God of Israel, thy seruat hath heard, that Saul is about to come to Keilah to destroy the citie for my sake.

11 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.”

Wil the lordes of Keilah deliuer me vp into his hand? and will Saul come downe, as thy seruant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy seruant. And the Lord sayde, He will come downe.

12 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.”

Then said Dauid, Will the lords of Keilah deliuer me vp, and the men that are with me, into the hand of Saul? And the Lord sayde, They will deliuer thee vp.

13 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.

Then Dauid and his men, which were about sixe hundreth, arose, and departed out of Keilah, and went whither they coulde. And it was tolde Saul, that Dauid was fled from Keilah, and he left off his iourney.

14 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.

And Dauid abode in the wildernesse in holdes, and remayned in a mountaine in the wildernes of Ziph. And Saul sought him euery day, but God deliuered him not into his hand.

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

And Dauid sawe that Saul was come out for to seeke his life: and Dauid was in the wildernes of Ziph in the wood.

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

And Ionathan Sauls sonne arose and went to Dauid into the wood, and comforted him in God,

17 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.”

And said vnto him, Feare not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not finde thee, and thou shalt be King ouer Israel, and I shalbe next vnto thee: and also Saul my father knoweth it.

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

So they twaine made a couenant before ye Lord: and Dauid did remaine in the wood: but Ionathan went to his house.

19 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?

Then came vp the Ziphims to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doeth not Dauid hide himselfe by vs in holdes, in the wood in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right side of Ieshimon?

20 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.”

Nowe therefore, O King, come downe according to all that thine heart can desire, and our part shall be to deliuer him into the Kinges handes.

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

Then Saul said, Be ye blessed of the Lord: for ye haue had compassion on mee.

22 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.

Goe, I pray you, and prepare ye yet better: know and see his place where he haunteth, and who hath seene him there: for it is sayd to me, He is subtile, and craftie.

23 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.”

See therefore and know all the secret places where he hideth himselfe, and come ye againe to me with the certaintie, and I will goe with you: and if he be in the lande, I will searche him out throughout all the thousands of Iudah.

24 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.

Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul, but Dauid and his men were in the wildernesse of Maon, in the playne on the right hande of Ieshimon.

25 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.

Saul also and his men went to seeke him, and they told Dauid: wherefore he came downe vnto a rocke, and abode in the wildernesse of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he folowed after Dauid in the wildernes of Maon.

26 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.

And Saul and his men went on the one side of the mountaine, and Dauid and his men on the other side of the mountaine: and Dauid made haste to get from the presence of Saul: for Saul and his men compassed Dauid and his men round about, to take them.

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

But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come: for the Philistims haue inuaded the land.

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

Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing Dauid, and went against the Philistims. Therefore they called that place, Sela-hammahlekoth.

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

And Dauid went thence, and dwelt in holdes at En-gedi.