1 Samuel 23
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1Someone told David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting at Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors."1One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors.
2David inquired of the LORD: "Shall I go and strike down these Philistines?" The LORD told David, "Go strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah."2David asked the LORD, “Should I go and attack them?” “Yes, go and save Keilah,” the LORD told him.
3David's men told him, "Look, we're afraid here in Judah. How much then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine army?"3But David’s men said, “We’re afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don’t want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!”
4David inquired of the LORD again, and the LORD answered him: "Get up, go down to Keilah. I'll give the Philistines into your control."4So David asked the LORD again, and again the LORD replied, “Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.”
5David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He carried off their livestock and defeated them decisively, and so David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah. 5So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah.
6Now when Ahimelech's son Abiathar had fled to David in Keilah, the ephod had come down with him.6Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.
7It was reported to Saul that David had come to Keilah, and Saul said, "The LORD has delivered him into my hand because he has shut himself in by going into a town with double gates and bars." 7Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. “Good!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got him now! God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!”
8Saul summoned for battle all his forces to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.8So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9David knew that Saul was devising evil plans against him, and so he told Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod."9But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the LORD what he should do.
10David said, "LORD God of Israel. Your servant has definitely heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah to destroy the town because of me. 10Then David prayed, “O LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here.
11Will the people of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down just as your servant has heard? LORD God of Israel, please inform your servant." The LORD said, "He will come down."11Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell me.” And the LORD said, “He will come.”
12Then David said, "Will the people of Keilah hand me over to Saul?" The LORD said, "They'll hand you over." 12Again David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?” And the LORD replied, “Yes, they will betray you.” David Hides in the Wilderness
13David and his men, about 600 strong, got up and left Keilah. They moved around wherever they could go. Saul was advised that David had escaped from Keilah, so he stopped the campaign. 13So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all.
14David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and he lived in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not let David slip into Saul's control. 14David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him.
15David was afraid because Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 15One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him.
16Saul's son Jonathan got up and went to David at Horesh, and he encouraged him to trust in God. 16Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.
17Jonathan told him, "Don't be afraid. My father Saul won't find you, and you will be king over Israel. I'll be your second-in-command. My father Saul also knows this." 17“Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.”
18The two of them made a covenant in the LORD's presence. David remained at Horesh while Jonathan went home.18So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the LORD. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.
19People from Ziph came up to Saul at Gibeah and informed him, "David is hiding with us in the strongholds in Horesh and on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon, isn't he? 19But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him. “We know where David is hiding,” they said. “He is in the strongholds of Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is in the southern part of Jeshimon.
20Now, your majesty, whenever you want to come down, come down, and our part will be to hand him over to the king."20Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!”
21Saul said, "May you be blessed by the LORD, because you have been gracious to me. 21“The LORD bless you,” Saul said. “At last someone is concerned about me!
22Go and again make sure, find out and investigate where he is and who has seen him there, for people tell me that he's very clever. 22Go and check again to be sure of where he is staying and who has seen him there, for I know that he is very crafty.
23Investigate and find out all the hiding places there where he hides, and return to me with reliable information. Then I'll go down with you, and if he's in the land, I'll search him out among all the thousands of Judah." 23Discover his hiding places, and come back when you are sure. Then I’ll go with you. And if he is in the area at all, I’ll track him down, even if I have to search every hiding place in Judah!”
24The people from Ziph got up and left Saul, while David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.24So the men of Ziph returned home ahead of Saul. Meanwhile, David and his men had moved into the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah Valley south of Jeshimon.
25When Saul and his men went to search for David, some people told David, and he went down to the Rock of Escape and remained in the wilderness of Maon. Saul heard this and he pursued David into the wilderness of Maon. 25When David heard that Saul and his men were searching for him, he went even farther into the wilderness to the great rock, and he remained there in the wilderness of Maon. But Saul kept after him in the wilderness.
26Saul went on one side of the mountain while David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.26Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men,
27Then a messenger came to Saul with this news: "Come quickly, because the Philistines have made a raid on the land!" 27an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.
28So Saul turned around from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines. Therefore, they call that place the Rock of Escape. 28So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape.
29 David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.29 David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
1 Samuel 22
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