1 Samuel 23

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.

3 And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

4 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

5 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 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 it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

9 And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

10 Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.

12 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 [thee] up.

13 Then David and his men, [which were] about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.

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

16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.

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

19 ¶ Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth 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, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part [shall be] to deliver him into the king's hand.

21 And Saul said, Blessed [be] ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.

22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, [and] who hath seen him there: for it is told me [that] he dealeth very subtilly.

23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye 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 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 Saul also and his men went to seek [him]. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode 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: 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 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

28 Wherefore 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 dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.

1 And it was told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and spoil the threshingfloors.

2 And David asked the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, thou shalt smite the Philistines, and deliver Keilah.

3 And the men that were with David said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah, and will go to Keilah, to the Philistines' house?

4 And David asked the LORD again: and the LORD answered him, and said, Go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought against the Philistines, and carried off their cattle, and did great slaughter unto them. So David delivered them that were in Keilah.

6 For when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he carried the ephod down with him.

7 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah, and Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand, that he should be shut up, when he was come into a city shut up with gates and bars:

8 And Saul called all the people to battle at Keilah, to put David and his men to the sword.

9 And when David knew that Saul had evil thoughts against him, he said unto Abiathar the priest, Bring forth the ephod.

10 And David said, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.

11 Will the people of Keilah deliver me into his hand? And shall Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? Declare it, O LORD God of Israel, unto thy servant. And the LORD said, He shall come down.

12 And David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, Yea.

13 Then David arose, he and his men, about six hundred of them, and departed from Keilah, and walked whithersoever they could. And when it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, he put his departure in order.

14 And David abode in the wilderness, in the stronghold, and dwelt in the mount in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him all the days of his life: but God delivered him not into his hand.

15 And David saw that Saul was gone out to seek his life. But David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in the heath.

16 And Jonathan the son of Saul arose, and went to David into the heathen, and strengthened his hand in God;

17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt reign over Israel, and I will be next unto thee; and my father knoweth these things.

18 And they made both of them a covenant together before the LORD. And David abode in the heath, but Jonathan returned home.

19 And the Ziphites went up to Saul to Gibeah, and said: Is not David hid with us in the castle, in the heath, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right hand of the wilderness?

20 Therefore let the king come down according to all the desire of his heart, and let us deliver him into the king's hand.

21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye unto the LORD, that ye have had mercy upon me.

22 Go ye therefore, and be more sure, that ye may know and see in what place his feet have been, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he is crafty.

23 Behold, search out all the places where he is hid, and come again unto me, if ye be sure, and I will go with you. And if he be in the land, I will search for him among all the thousands of Judah.

24 And they made ready, and went to Ziph before Saul. And David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the region on the right hand of the wilderness.

25 And when Saul went with his men to seek, it was told David: and he went down into the rock, and dwelt in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard it, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26 And Saul and his men went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And when David hasted to escape from Saul, Saul and his men compassed David and his men, and took them.

27 And there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Make haste, and come; for the Philistines are fallen into the land.

28 And Saul turned back from pursuing David, and went to meet the Philistines: therefore the name of the place is called Shelah-mahelkoth. Ch. 24, v. 1. And David went up from thence, and abode in the castle of Engedi.