David Delivers Keilah

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

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.”

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?”

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.”

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(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
(Psalm 54:1–7)

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.”

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

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 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 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.”

And 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.”

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 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.

15And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh. 16And Jonathan son of Saul arose and went to David in Horesh, and he strengthened his hand in God. 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.”

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.

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? 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.”

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

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, 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.

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.

27And a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have pushed against the land.” 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 dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi.