1 Samuel 23

1 Then told they David, saying, —Lo! the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing-floors.

Now it was reported to David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors.”

2 So David enquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Yahweh said unto David—Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.

So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

3 But the men of David said unto him, Lo! we, here, in Judah, are afraid, —how much more, then, if we go to Keilah, against the ranks of the Philistines?

But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

4 So David yet again enquired if Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him, —and said—Arise, go down to Keilah, for I am about to deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

5 David therefore went, with his men, to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and drave forth their cattle, and smote them, with a great smiting, so David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David saved the people of Keilah.

6 Now it came to pass, when Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, fled unto David to Keilah, that he came down with, an ephod, in his hand.

(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

7 And, when it was told Saul that David had entered Keilah, Saul said—God hath given him over into my hand, for he hath shut himself in by entering into a city with folding doors and bar.

When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”

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

Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.

9 And David ascertained that, against him, Saul was contriving mischief, —so he said unto Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”

10 Then said David: O Yahweh, God of Israel, thy servant, hath heard, that Saul is seeking to come unto Keilah, —to destroy the city, for my sake:

And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account.

11 Will the owners of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Yahweh, God of Israel, I pray thee, tell thy servant. And Yahweh said—He will come down.

Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD.

12 Then said David, Will the owners of Keilah surrender me and my men, into the hand of Saul? And Yahweh said—They will surrender.

So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD.

13 Then arose David and his men, about six hundred, and went forth out of Keilah, and went to and fro, whithersoever they could, —and, unto Saul, it was told that David had escaped out of Keilah, so he forbare to go forth.

Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.

14 Then David abode in the wilderness, in the fortresses, and he abode in the hill country, in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him continually, but God delivered him not into his hand.

And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.

15 Then David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life, David, being in the wilderness of Ziph, in the thicket.

While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.

16 So Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went unto David in the thicket, —and strengthened his hand in God;

And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God,

17 and said unto him, —Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, but, thou, shalt become king over Israel, and, I, shall be, next, unto thee, yea and, Saul my father, knoweth this.

saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.”

18 And they two solemnised a covenant before Yahweh, —and David remained in the thicket, but, Jonathan, departed to his own house.

So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

19 Then came up the Ziphites unto Saul in Gibeah, saying, —Is not David hiding himself with us, in the strongholds in the thicket, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right of Jeshimon?

Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon?

20 Now, therefore, according to all the desire of thy soul O king, to come down, come! and, ours, [will it be] to surrender him into the hand of the king.

Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.”

21 Then said Saul, Blessed, be ye, of Yahweh, —because ye have taken pity upon me.

“May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me.

22 Go, I pray you, make ready yet further, and get to know and see his place, where may be his track, who hath seen him there, —for it hath been said unto me, Cunning indeed, is, he!

Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning.

23 See, then, and get to know—of all the hiding places, where he hideth himself, and return unto me, for certainty, then will I go with you, —and it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search him out, through all the thousands of Judah.

Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”

24 So they arose and departed to Ziph, before Saul, —but, David and his men, were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah, to the right of Jeshimon.

So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,

25 Then Saul and his men departed, to seek [him]; but it had been told David, and he had gone down the cliff, and taken up his abode in the wilderness of Maon, —and when Saul had, heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.

and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.

26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and, David and his men, on that side of the mountain, —wherefore David became hurried, to get away from the presence of Saul, but, Saul and his men, were surrounding David and his men, to capture then:

Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.

27 when, a messenger, came unto Saul, saying, —Haste thee and come! for the Philistines have spread over the land.

Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”

28 Then returned Saul from pursuing David, and departed to meet the Philistines, —for which cause, they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth ["the Cliff of Separation"].

So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth.

29 And David went up from thence, —and abode in the strongholds of En-gedi.

And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.