Βασιλειῶν Αʹ 23
1 καὶ ἀπηγγέλη τῷ Δαυιδ λέγοντες ἰδοὺ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι πολεμοῦσιν ἐν τῇ Κεϊλα καὶ αὐτοὶ διαρπάζουσιν καταπατοῦσιν τοὺς ἅλω
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 καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν Δαυιδ διὰ τοῦ κυρίου λέγων εἰ πορευθῶ καὶ πατάξω τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους τούτους καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πορεύου καὶ πατάξεις ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις τούτοις καὶ σώσεις τὴν Κεϊλα
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 καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἄνδρες τοῦ Δαυιδ πρὸς αὐτόν ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῇ Ιουδαίᾳ φοβούμεθα καὶ πῶς ἔσται ἐὰν πορευθῶμεν εἰς Κεϊλα εἰς τὰ σκῦλα τῶν ἀλλοφύλων εἰσπορευσόμεθα
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 καὶ προσέθετο Δαυιδ ἐρωτῆσαι ἔτι διὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ κύριος καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν ἀνάστηθι καὶ κατάβηθι εἰς Κεϊλα ὅτι ἐγὼ παραδίδωμι τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους εἰς χεῖράς σου
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 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Δαυιδ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ εἰς Κεϊλα καὶ ἐπολέμησεν ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις καὶ ἔφυγον ἐκ προσώπου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπήγαγεν τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν αὐτοῖς πληγὴν μεγάλην καὶ ἔσωσεν Δαυιδ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Κεϊλα
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 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ φυγεῖν Αβιαθαρ υἱὸν Αβιμελεχ πρὸς Δαυιδ καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ Δαυιδ εἰς Κεϊλα κατέβη ἔχων εφουδ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ
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 καὶ ἀπηγγέλη τῷ Σαουλ ὅτι ἥκει Δαυιδ εἰς Κεϊλα καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ πέπρακεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς εἰς χεῖράς μου ὅτι ἀποκέκλεισται εἰσελθὼν εἰς πόλιν θυρῶν καὶ μοχλῶν
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 καὶ παρήγγειλεν Σαουλ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ εἰς πόλεμον καταβαίνειν εἰς Κεϊλα συνέχειν τὸν Δαυιδ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτοῦ
So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.
9 καὶ ἔγνω Δαυιδ ὅτι οὐ παρασιωπᾷ Σαουλ περὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν κακίαν καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ πρὸς Αβιαθαρ τὸν ἱερέα προσάγαγε τὸ εφουδ κυρίου
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 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ κύριε ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ἀκούων ἀκήκοεν ὁ δοῦλός σου ὅτι ζητεῖ Σαουλ ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ Κεϊλα διαφθεῖραι τὴν πόλιν δῑ ἐμέ
[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 εἰ ἀποκλεισθήσεται καὶ νῦν εἰ καταβήσεται Σαουλ καθὼς ἤκουσεν ὁ δοῦλός σου κύριε ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ἀπάγγειλον τῷ δούλῳ σου καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ἀποκλεισθήσεται
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.”
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 καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυιδ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ ὡς τετρακόσιοι καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἐκ Κεϊλα καὶ ἐπορεύοντο οὗ ἐὰν ἐπορεύθησαν καὶ τῷ Σαουλ ἀπηγγέλη ὅτι διασέσωται Δαυιδ ἐκ Κεϊλα καὶ ἀνῆκεν τοῦ ἐξελθεῖν
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 καὶ ἐκάθισεν Δαυιδ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐν Μασερεμ ἐν τοῖς στενοῖς καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐν τῷ ὄρει Ζιφ ἐν τῇ γῇ τῇ αὐχμώδει καὶ ἐζήτει αὐτὸν Σαουλ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας καὶ οὐ παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν κύριος εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ
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 καὶ εἶδεν Δαυιδ ὅτι ἐξέρχεται Σαουλ τοῦ ζητεῖν τὸν Δαυιδ καὶ Δαυιδ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ αὐχμώδει ἐν τῇ Καινῇ Ζιφ
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 καὶ ἀνέστη Ιωναθαν υἱὸς Σαουλ καὶ ἐπορεύθη πρὸς Δαυιδ εἰς Καινὴν καὶ ἐκραταίωσεν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἐν κυρίῳ
But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].
17 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν μὴ φοβοῦ ὅτι οὐ μὴ εὕρῃ σε ἡ χεὶρ Σαουλ τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ σὺ βασιλεύσεις ἐπὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσομαί σοι εἰς δεύτερον καὶ Σαουλ ὁ πατήρ μου οἶδεν οὕτως
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 καὶ διέθεντο ἀμφότεροι διαθήκην ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἐκάθητο Δαυιδ ἐν Καινῇ καὶ Ιωναθαν ἀπῆλθεν εἰς οἶκον αὐτοῦ
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 καὶ ἀνέβησαν οἱ Ζιφαῖοι ἐκ τῆς αὐχμώδους πρὸς Σαουλ ἐπὶ τὸν βουνὸν λέγοντες οὐκ ἰδοὺ Δαυιδ κέκρυπται παρ’ ἡμῖν ἐν Μεσσαρα ἐν τοῖς στενοῖς ἐν τῇ Καινῇ ἐν τῷ βουνῷ τοῦ Εχελα τοῦ ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Ιεσσαιμουν
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 καὶ νῦν πᾶν τὸ πρὸς ψυχὴν τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς κατάβασιν καταβαινέτω πρὸς ἡμᾶς κεκλείκασιν αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ βασιλέως
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 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Σαουλ εὐλογημένοι ὑμεῖς τῷ κυρίῳ ὅτι ἐπονέσατε περὶ ἐμοῦ
Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to me].
22 πορεύθητε δὴ καὶ ἑτοιμάσατε ἔτι καὶ γνῶτε τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ οὗ ἔσται ὁ ποὺς αὐτοῦ ἐν τάχει ἐκεῖ οὗ εἴπατε μήποτε πανουργεύσηται
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 καὶ ἴδετε καὶ γνῶτε καὶ πορευσόμεθα μεθ’ ὑμῶν καὶ ἔσται εἰ ἔστιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐξερευνήσω αὐτὸν ἐν πάσαις χιλιάσιν Ιουδα
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 καὶ ἀνέστησαν οἱ Ζιφαῖοι καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ἔμπροσθεν Σαουλ καὶ Δαυιδ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῇ Μααν καθ’ ἑσπέραν ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Ιεσσαιμουν
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 καὶ ἐπορεύθη Σαουλ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ ζητεῖν αὐτόν καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν τῷ Δαυιδ καὶ κατέβη εἰς τὴν πέτραν τὴν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Μααν καὶ ἤκουσεν Σαουλ καὶ κατεδίωξεν ὀπίσω Δαυιδ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον Μααν
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 καὶ πορεύονται Σαουλ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ ἐκ μέρους τοῦ ὄρους τούτου καὶ ἦν Δαυιδ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ ἐκ μέρους τοῦ ὄρους τούτου καὶ ἦν Δαυιδ σκεπαζόμενος πορεύεσθαι ἀπὸ προσώπου Σαουλ καὶ Σαουλ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ παρενέβαλον ἐπὶ Δαυιδ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτοῦ συλλαβεῖν αὐτούς
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 καὶ ἄγγελος πρὸς Σαουλ ἦλθεν λέγων σπεῦδε καὶ δεῦρο ὅτι ἐπέθεντο οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν
But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”
28 καὶ ἀνέστρεψεν Σαουλ μὴ καταδιώκειν ὀπίσω Δαυιδ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς συνάντησιν τῶν ἀλλοφύλων διὰ τοῦτο ἐπεκλήθη ὁ τόπος ἐκεῖνος Πέτρα ἡ μερισθεῖσα
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 καὶ ἀνέβη Δαυιδ ἐκεῖθεν καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐν τοῖς στενοῖς Εγγαδδι
David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.
