1 Samuel 23

1 And people told to David saying there! [the] Philistines [are] fighting against Keilah and they [are] plundering the threshing floors.

One day someone told David, “You need to know that the Philistia army is attacking Keilah [town] and they are stealing grain from where men are threshing it.”

2 And he enquired David by Yahweh saying ¿ will I go and will I strike? the Philistines these. And he said Yahweh to David go and you will strike the Philistines and you will deliver Keilah.

David asked Yahweh, “Should my men and I go to fight against those men from the Philistia people-group?” Yahweh answered, “Yes, go. Attack them, and rescue the people of Keilah.”

3 And they said [the] men of David to him here! we here in Judah [are] fearful and indeed? if we will go Keilah against [the] battle lines of [the] Philistines.

But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid [that Saul will attack us] here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistia army is!”

4 And he repeated again David to enquire by Yahweh. And he answered him Yahweh and he said arise go down Keilah for I [am] about to give [the] Philistines in hand your.

So David asked Yahweh again [if they should go to Keilah]. Yahweh answered, “Yes, go down to Keilah. I will help you to defeat the men of the Philistia people-group.”

5 And he went David (and men his *Q(K)*) Keilah and he fought against the Philistines and he drove away livestock their and he defeated them a defeat great and he delivered David [the] inhabitants of Keilah.

So David and his men went to Keilah. They fought against the men of the Philistia people-group and captured many of their cattle. David and his men killed many of the Philistia men and rescued the people of Keilah.

6 And it was when fled Abiathar [the] son of Ahimelech to David Keilah an ephod it came down in hand his.

Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to be with David at Keilah, and he brought the sacred vest with him [to use it to determine what God wanted to be done].

7 And it was told to Saul that he had gone David Keilah and he said Saul he has alienated him God in hand my for he has shut himself up by going in a city of doors and bar[s].

Soon Saul found out that David was at Keilah. So he said, “That is good! God is enabling me to capture him! He has trapped himself in that town, because it has high walls with gates around it.”

8 And he summoned Saul all the people for battle to go down Keilah to lay siege against David and against men his.

So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.

9 And he knew David that on him Saul [was] plotting evil and he said to Abiathar the priest bring near! the ephod.

But David found out that Saul was planning [for his army] to attack him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring [here] the sacred vest.”

10 And he said David O Yahweh [the] God of Israel certainly he has heard servant your that [is] seeking Saul to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.

[So when Abiathar brought it, ] David prayed, “Yahweh, God of us Israelis, I have heard that Saul is planning to come here [with his army] and destroy Keilah because I am here.

11 ¿ Will they deliver up me [the] citizens of Keilah in hand his ¿ will he come down Saul just as he has heard servant your O Yahweh [the] God of Israel tell please to servant your. And he said Yahweh he will come down.

Will Saul come down [here to Keilah], as people reported to me? Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul to capture me? Yahweh, God of us Israelis, please tell me!” Yahweh answered, “Yes, Saul will come down.”

12 And he said David ¿ will they deliver up [the] citizens of Keilah me and men my in [the] hand of Saul and he said Yahweh they will deliver [you] up.

Then David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul’s army to capture me and my men [if we stay here]?” [By means of the stones in the sacred vest], Yahweh replied, “Yes, they will.”

13 And he arose David and men his about six hundred man and they went out from Keilah and they went about at where they went about and to Saul it was told that he had escaped David from Keilah and he ceased to go forth.

So David and his 600 men left Keilah. They continued to move from one place to another, [wherever they thought that Saul would not find them]. And when Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

14 And he dwelt David in the wilderness in the strongholds and he dwelt in the hill country in [the] wilderness of Ziph and he sought him Saul all the days and not he gave him God in hand his.

David and his men stayed in hiding places in the desert and in the hills of Ziph Desert. Every day Saul [sent men to] search for David, but Yahweh did not allow them to capture David.

15 And he saw David that he had come forth Saul to seek life his and David [was] in [the] wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

While David and his men were at [a place named] Horesh in Ziph desert, he found out that Saul was coming there to kill him.

16 And he arose Jonathan [the] son of Saul and he went to David Horesh and he strengthened hand his in God.

But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].

17 And he said to him may not you be afraid for not it will find you [the] hand of Saul father my and you you will reign over Israel and I I will become to you second in rank and also Saul father my [is] knowing [it is] thus.

Jonathan told him, “Do not be afraid, because my father will not be able to harm [IDM] you. [Some day] you will be the king of Israel, and I will be the second [most important man in Israel]. My father Saul also knows that.”

18 And they made [the] two of them a covenant before Yahweh and he remained David at Horesh and Jonathan he went to house his.

Then the two of them repeated their solemn promise that Yahweh [had heard them make previously, that they would always be loyal to each other]. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.

19 And they went up Ziphites to Saul Gibeah towards saying ¿ not [is] David hiding himself with us in the strongholds at Horesh on [the] hill of Hakilah which [is] from [the] south of Jeshimon.

Some people from Ziph went to Saul when he was at Gibeah, and they told him, “David [and his men] are hiding in our land [RHQ]! They are hiding in places at Horesh on Hakilah Hill, south of [a place named] Jeshimon.

20 And now to all [the] desire of self your O king to come down come down and [belongs] to us to deliver up him in [the] hand of the king.

So, O king, come down there any time that you want to. It is our duty to capture him and turn him over to you.”

21 And he said Saul [be] blessed you by Yahweh for you have had compassion on me.

Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to me].

22 Go please prepare still and know and see place his where it is foot his who? has he seen him there for someone has said to me certainly he is crafty he.

Go back and find out more about him. Find out exactly where he is staying, and find out who has seen him there. People tell me that he is very clever, [so we need to be clever also to be able to capture him].

23 And see and know from all the hiding places where he hides himself there and you will return to me to a certain [thing] and I will go with you and it will be if there he [is] in the land and I will search out him among all [the] thousands of Judah.

Find out all the places where he and his men hide. Then come back and tell me everything that you have found out. Then I will [take my army and] go there with you. If David is in any of the clans/caves of Judah, we will search for him [and find him]!”

24 And they arose and they went Ziph towards before Saul and David and men his [were] in [the] wilderness of Maon in the Arabah to [the] south of Jeshimon.

So those people went back to Ziph before Saul went there. At that time David and his men were in Maon Desert, south of Jeshimon.

25 And he went Saul and men his to seek [him] and people told to David and he went down the rock and he remained in [the] wilderness of Maon and he heard Saul and he pursued after David [the] wilderness of Maon.

Saul and his soldiers went to search for David, but David heard about that. So he and his men went further [south] to a rocky hill/peak in the Maon Desert. When Saul heard about that, he and his men followed David and his men to the Maon Desert.

26 And he went Saul from [the] side of the mountain from this and David and men his [were] from [the] side of the mountain from this and he was David hurrying away to go from before Saul and Saul and men his [were] surrounding David and men his to catch them.

Saul and his soldiers were walking along one side of the hill/peak, and David and his men were on the other side. David and his men were hurrying to escape from Saul’s soldiers, because Saul and his soldiers were coming much closer.

27 And a messenger he came to Saul saying make haste! and come! for they have made a raid [the] Philistines on the land.

But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”

28 And he turned back Saul from pursuing after David and he went to meet [the] Philistines there-fore people called the place that Sela Hammahlekoth.

So Saul stopped pursuing David, and he [and his soldiers] went to fight against the Philistia army. That is the reason that people call that place ‘Escape Rock’.

29 And he went up David from there and he dwelt in [the] strongholds of En Gedi.

David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.