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 told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Ke'ilah, and they are plundering the threshing-floors.

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.”

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

And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Ke'ilah, to besiege David 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 David understood that Saul secretly devised mischief against him; and he said to Ebyathar the priest, Bring hither 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 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 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.”

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

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

16 And Jonathan son of Saul rises, and goes to David [in the] forest, and strengthens 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 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 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 And both of them make a covenant before YHWH; and David abides in the forest, and Jonathan has gone 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 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 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 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.”

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

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

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.

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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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

But a messenger came unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded 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 after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammachlekoth.

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

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