1 Samuel 23

Modern

Literal

David Delivers Keilah

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

¹And they declared to David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing floors.”

²So 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.”

²And David inquired of YHWH, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And YHWH said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

³But 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?”

³And the men of David said to him, “Behold, we here in Judah are afraid, and how much more when we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?”

⁴Once 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.”

⁴And David once again inquired of YHWH, and YHWH answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand.”

⁵Then 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.

⁵And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and he led away their livestock and struck them with a mighty blow. And David saved those dwelling in Keilah.

⁶(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

⁶(And it came to pass, when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, that an ephod came down in his hand.)

Saul Pursues David

⁷When 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.”

⁷And it was told to Saul that David had gone to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.”

⁸Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.

⁸And Saul called together all the people for war to go down to Keilah to lay siege to David and his men.

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

⁹And David knew that Saul was devising evil against him, and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring near the ephod.”

¹⁰And 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.

¹⁰And David said, “O YHWH, God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.

¹¹Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand?^a Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.”

“He will,” said the LORD.

¹¹Will the men of Keilah shut me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O YHWH, God of Israel, declare, please, to Your servant.” And YHWH said, “He will come down.”

¹²So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?”

“They will,” said the LORD.

¹²And David said, “Will the men of Keilah shut up me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And YHWH said, “They will shut you up.”

¹³Then 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.

¹³And David and his men arose, about six hundred men, and they went out from Keilah, and they went about in wherever they could go about. And to Saul it was declared that David had escaped from Keilah. And he ceased to go out.

¹⁴And 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.

¹⁴And David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the Wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, and God did not deliver him into his hand.

¹⁵While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.

¹⁵And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh.

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

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

¹⁷saying, “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.”

¹⁷And he said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. And You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be to you for a second. Even thus knows Saul my father.”

¹⁸So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

¹⁸And the two of them cut a covenant before the face of YHWH. And David stayed in Horesh, and Jonathan went to his own house.

¹⁹Then 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?

¹⁹And the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding with us in the strongholds in Horesh, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

²⁰Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.”

²⁰And now according to all the desire of your soul, O king, to come down, come down, and to us is to enclose him into the hand of the king.”

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

²¹And Saul said, “Blessed are you of YHWH, for you have had compassion on me.

²²Please 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.

²²Go, please, prepare further, and know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there. For it is told to me he is extremely cunning.

²³Observe 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.”

²³And see and know of all of the hiding places where he hides, and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the thousands of Judah.”

²⁴So 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,

²⁴And they arose and went to Ziph before the face of Saul. And David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

²⁵and 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.

²⁵And Saul and his men went to seek him, and they declared to David. And he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard and pursued after David in the Wilderness of Maon.

²⁶Saul 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.

²⁶And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on this side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away from Saul, and Saul and his men were encircling upon David and his men to capture them.

²⁷Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”

²⁷And a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have pushed against the land.”

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

²⁸And Saul returned from pursuing after David, and he went against the Philistines. Upon thus they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.

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

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