1 Samuel 23

1 And thei telden to Dauid, and seiden, Lo! Filisteis fiyten ayens Seila, and rauyschen the corn floris.

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

2 Therfor Dauid councelide the Lord, and seide, Whether Y schal go, and smyte Filisteis? And the Lord seide to Dauid, Go thou, and thou schalt smyte Filisteis, and thou schalt saue Seila.

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 And men, that weren with Dauid, seiden to him, Lo! we ben heere in Judee, and dredden; hou myche more, if we schulen go in to Seila ayens the cumpanyes of Filisteis.

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 Therfor eft Dauid councelide the Lord; which answeride, and seide to Dauid, Rise thou, and go `in to Seila; for Y schal bitake Filisteis in thin hond.

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 Therfor Dauid yede, and hise men, in to Seila, and fauyt ayens Filisteis; and he droof awey her werk beestis, and smoot hem with greet wounde; and Dauid sauyde the dwelleris of Seila.

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 Forsothe in that tyme, `wher ynne Abiathar, sone of Achymelech, fledde to Dauid in to Seile, he cam doun, and hadde with hym `ephoth, that is, the cloth of the hiyeste preest.

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

7 Forsothe it was teld to Saul, that Dauid hadde come in to Seila; and Saul seide, The Lord hath take hym in to myn hondis, and he `is closid, and entride in to a citee, in which ben yatis and lockis.

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 And Saul comaundide to al the puple, that it schulde go doun to batel in to Seila, and bisege Dauid and hise men.

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

9 And whanne Dauid perceyuede, that Saul made redi yuel priueli to hym, he seide to Abiathar, preest, Brynge hidur ephoth.

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

10 And Dauid seide, Lord God of Israel, thi seruaunt `herde fame, that Saul disposith to come to Seila, that he distrie the citee for me;

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 if the men of Seila schulen bitake me in to hise hondis, and if Saul schal come doun, as thi seruaunt herde, thou Lord God of Israel schewe to thi seruaunt? And the Lord seide, He schal come doun.

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 And Dauid seide eft, Whether the men of Seila schulen bitake me, and the men that ben with me, in to the hondis of Saul? And the Lord seide, Thei schulen bitake, `that is, if thou dwellist in the citee, and Saul come thidur.

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

13 Therfor Dauid roos, and hise men, as sixe hundrid; and thei yeden out of Seila, and wandriden vncerteyn hidur and thidur. And it was telde to Saul, that Dauid hadde fledde fro Seila, and was saued; wherfor Saul dissymylide to go out.

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 Forsothe Dauid dwellide in the deseert, in strongeste places, and he dwellide in the hil of wildirnesse of Ziph, in a derk hil; netheles Saul souyte hym in alle daies, and the Lord bitook not hym in to the hondis of Saul.

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 And Dauid siy, that Saul yede out, that he schulde seke his lijf. Forsothe Dauid was in the deseert of Ziph, in a wode.

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

16 And Jonathas, the sone of Saul, roos, and yede to Dauid in to the wode, and coumfortide hise hondis in God.

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

17 And he seide to Dauid, Drede thou not; for the hond of Saul my fadir schal not fynde thee, and thou schalt regne on Israel, and Y schal be the secounde to thee; but also Saul my father woot 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 Therfor euer eithir smoot boond of pees bifor the Lord. And Dauid dwellide in the wode; forsothe Jonathas turnede ayen in to his hows.

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

19 Forsothe men of Ziph stieden to Saul in Gabaa, and seiden, Lo! whether not Dauid is hid at vs in the sikireste places of the wode, in the hille of Achille, which is at the riyt syde of deseert?

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 therfor come thou doun, as thi soule desiride, that thou schuldist come doun; forsothe it schal be oure, that we bitake hym in to the hondis of the kyng.

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

21 And Saul seide, Blessid be ye of the Lord, for ye sorewiden `for my stide.

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

22 Therfor, Y preie, go ye, and make redi more diligentli, and do ye more curiousli ether intentifli, and biholde ye swiftly, where his foot is, ethir who siy hym there, where ye seiden; for he thenkith on me, that felli Y aspie hym.

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 Biholde ye, and se alle his hidyng places, in whiche he is hid, and turne ye ayen to me at a certeyn thing, that Y go with you; that if he closith hym silf yhe in to erthe, Y schal seke hym with alle the thousyndis of Juda.

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 And thei risiden, and yeden in to Ziph bifor Saul. Forsothe Dauid and hise men weren in the deseert of Maon, in the feldi places, at the riyt half of Jesymyth.

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 Therfor Saul yede and hise felowis to seke Dauid, and it was teld to Dauid; and anoon he yede doun to the stoon, and lyuyde in the deseert of Maon; and whanne Saul hadde herd this, he pursuede Dauid in the deseert 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 yede and hise men at the side of the hil `on o part; forsothe Dauid and hise men weren in the side of the hil on the tother part; sotheli Dauid dispeiride, that he myyte ascape fro the face of Saul. And so Saul and hise men cumpassiden bi the maner of a coroun Dauid and hise men, that thei schulden take hem.

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 And a messanger cam to Saul, and seide, Haste thou, and come, for Filisteis han spred hem silf on the lond.

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

28 Therfor Saul turnede ayen, and ceesside to pursue Dauid; and yede ayens the comyng of Filisteis. For this thing thei clepen that place the Stoon Departynge.

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

29 Therfor Dauid stiede fro thennus, and dwellide in the sykireste places of Engaddi.

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