1 Samuel 23

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

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

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

And Saul charged all the people to go down to war to Keila, to 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.

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

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, Lord God of Israel, your servant has indeed heard, that Saul seeks to come against Keila to 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 place] be shut up? And now will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, tell your servant.

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.

And the Lord said, It will be shut up.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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?

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.

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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:

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.

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

And there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste you, and come here, for the Philistines have invaded 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 returned from following after David, and went to meet the Philistines: therefore that place was called The divided Rock.

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

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