1 Samuel 23

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

Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob 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.

Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said to David, Go, and smite 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?

And David’s men said to him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come 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.

Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down 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.

So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants 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.

And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an 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 Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town 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 called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, 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 secretly practiced mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring here 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:

Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

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 men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.

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.

Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver you 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.

Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and 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 in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not 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.

And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

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

And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, 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.

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 next to you; and that also Saul my father knows.

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

And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David stayed in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

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 came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the 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 therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.

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

And Saul said, Blessed be you of the LORD; for you have 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!

Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there: for it is told me that he deals very subtly.

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.

See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself, and come you 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 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 they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the 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.

Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David; why he came down into a rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in 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 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 for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

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

But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste you, and come; 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"].

Why Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.

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

And David went up from there, and dwelled in strong holds at Engedi.