1S 23:1And some told David, saying, The Philistines are now fighting against Keilah and robbing the threshing floors.
1S 23:2And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and strike these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.
1S 23:3And David’s men said to him, Here we are, afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines!
1S 23:4So David inquired yet again of Jehovah. And Jehovah answered him and said, Rise up; go down to Keilah, for I am delivering the Philistines into your hand.
1S 23:5Then David and his men went to Keilah and fought against the Philistines and carried off their cattle and struck them down with a great slaughter. And David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
1S 23:6Now it so happened that when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
1S 23:7Then it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, because he has entered a city with gates and bars.
1S 23:8And Saul summoned all the people to battle, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
1S 23:9But when David learned that Saul was planning evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.
1S 23:10And David said, O Jehovah the God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah in order to destroy the city on my account.
1S 23:11Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Jehovah the God of Israel, do tell Your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
1S 23:12And David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver you.
1S 23:13So David and his men, about six hundred men, rose up and went forth from Keilah; and they went about wherever they could. And when it was told Saul that David had slipped away from Keilah, he ceased his going forth.
1S 23:14And David remained in the wilderness in strongholds, and he remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
1S 23:15And David saw that Saul went forth to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
1S 23:16Then Jonathan the son of Saul rose up and went to David at Horesh, and he strengthened his hand in God.
1S 23:17And he said to him, Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you; and you will become king over Israel, and I will be second to you; and even Saul my father knows that.
1S 23:18And the two of them made a covenant before Jehovah. And David remained in Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.
1S 23:19Then some Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, David is indeed hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of the desert!
1S 23:20Now then, O king, come down, according to all your soul’s desire to come down; and we will deliver him into the hand of the king.
1S 23:21And Saul said, Blessed are you of Jehovah, for you have had compassion on me.
1S 23:22Go now, and make sure once more; and find out and look into his place, where he sets foot, who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning.
1S 23:23And look about and learn of all his hiding places where he lurks, and come back to me with sure information; then I will go with you, and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.
1S 23:24And they rose up and went to Ziph before Saul. And David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of the desert.
1S 23:25And Saul and his men went to seek him. And when some told David this, he went down to the rock and remained in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of it, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
1S 23:26And Saul went on one side of the mountain, while David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men in order to capture them.
1S 23:27Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hurry and come, for the Philistines have raided the land.
1S 23:28So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and he went to meet the Philistines; therefore they call that place the Rock of Escape.
1S 23:29And David went up from there and remained in the strongholds of En-gedi.
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