Font Size
1 Samuel 23:13-29
New Living Translation
1 Samuel 23:13-29
New Living Translation
David Hides in the Wilderness
13 So 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. 14 David 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.
15 One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. 16 Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. 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.” 18 So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.
19 But 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. 20 Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!”
21 “The Lord bless you,” Saul said. “At last someone is concerned about me! 22 Go 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. 23 Discover 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!” 24 So 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. 25 When 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.
26 Saul 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, 27 an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again. 28 So 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.[a] 29 [b]David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.
Read full chapter
1 Samuel 23:13-29
New International Version
1 Samuel 23:13-29
New International Version
13 So David and his men,(A) about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
14 David stayed in the wilderness(B) strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph.(C) Day after day Saul searched(D) for him, but God did not(E) give David into his hands.
15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that[a] Saul had come out to take his life.(F) 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength(G) in God. 17 “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king(H) over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18 The two of them made a covenant(I) before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.
19 The Ziphites(J) went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us(K) in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah,(L) south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving(M) him into your hands.”
21 Saul replied, “The Lord bless(N) you for your concern(O) for me. 22 Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. 23 Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track(P) him down 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 Desert of Maon,(Q) in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.(R) 25 Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.
26 Saul(S) was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” 28 Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.[b] 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds(T) of En Gedi.[c](U)
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 23:15 Or he was afraid because
- 1 Samuel 23:28 Sela Hammahlekoth means rock of parting.
- 1 Samuel 23:29 In Hebrew texts this verse (23:29) is numbered 24:1.
Psalm 54
New Living Translation
Psalm 54
New Living Translation
Psalm 54
For the choir director: A psalm[a] of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “We know where David is hiding.” To be accompanied by stringed instruments.
1 Come with great power, O God, and rescue me!
Defend me with your might.
2 Listen to my prayer, O God.
Pay attention to my plea.
3 For strangers are attacking me;
violent people are trying to kill me.
They care nothing for God. Interlude
4 But God is my helper.
The Lord keeps me alive!
5 May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them.
Do as you promised and put an end to them.
6 I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you;
I will praise your name, O Lord,
for it is good.
7 For you have rescued me from my troubles
and helped me to triumph over my enemies.
Footnotes
- 54:Title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.
Psalm 54
New International Version
Psalm 54
New International Version
Psalm 54[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[b] of David. When the Ziphites(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
1 Save me(B), O God, by your name;(C)
vindicate me by your might.(D)
2 Hear my prayer, O God;(E)
listen to the words of my mouth.
Footnotes
- Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
- Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
1 Samuel 24-25
New Living Translation
1 Samuel 24-25
New Living Translation
David Spares Saul’s Life
24 [a]After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. 2 So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.
3 At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!
4 “Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe.
5 But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” 7 So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.
After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, 8 David came out and shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.
9 Then he shouted to Saul, “Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? 10 This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king—he is the Lord’s anointed one.’ 11 Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.
12 “May the Lord judge between us. Perhaps the Lord will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. 13 As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you. 14 Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea? 15 May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!”
16 When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, “Is that really you, my son David?” Then he began to cry. 17 And he said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. 18 Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it. 19 Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. 20 And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule. 21 Now swear to me by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!”
22 So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their stronghold.
The Death of Samuel
25 Now Samuel died, and all Israel gathered for his funeral. They buried him at his house in Ramah.
Nabal Angers David
Then David moved down to the wilderness of Maon.[b] 2 There was a wealthy man from Maon who owned property near the town of Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and it was sheep-shearing time. 3 This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. But Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, was crude and mean in all his dealings.
4 When David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep, 5 he sent ten of his young men to Carmel with this message for Nabal: 6 “Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own! 7 I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. 8 Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David.” 9 David’s young men gave this message to Nabal in David’s name, and they waited for a reply.
10 “Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. 11 Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?”
12 So David’s young men returned and told him what Nabal had said. 13 “Get your swords!” was David’s reply as he strapped on his own. Then 400 men started off with David, and 200 remained behind to guard their equipment.
14 Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants went to Abigail and told her, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them. 15 These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. 16 In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep. 17 You need to know this and figure out what to do, for there is going to be trouble for our master and his whole family. He’s so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!”
18 Abigail wasted no time. She quickly gathered 200 loaves of bread, two wineskins full of wine, five sheep that had been slaughtered, nearly a bushel[c] of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes. She packed them on donkeys 19 and said to her servants, “Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly.” But she didn’t tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.
20 As she was riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming toward her. 21 David had just been saying, “A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. 22 May God strike me and kill me[d] if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!”
Abigail Intercedes for Nabal
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “I accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to what I have to say. 25 I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests.[e] But I never even saw the young men you sent.
26 “Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, since the Lord has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is. 27 And here is a present that I, your servant, have brought to you and your young men. 28 Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.
29 “Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling! 30 When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, 31 don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the Lord has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!”
32 David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! 33 Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. 34 For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.” 35 Then David accepted her present and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”
36 When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day. 37 In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke,[f] and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone. 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck him, and he died.
David Marries Abigail
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise the Lord, who has avenged the insult I received from Nabal and has kept me from doing it myself. Nabal has received the punishment for his sin.” Then David sent messengers to Abigail to ask her to become his wife.
40 When the messengers arrived at Carmel, they told Abigail, “David has sent us to take you back to marry him.”
41 She bowed low to the ground and responded, “I, your servant, would be happy to marry David. I would even be willing to become a slave, washing the feet of his servants!” 42 Quickly getting ready, she took along five of her servant girls as attendants, mounted her donkey, and went with David’s messengers. And so she became his wife. 43 David also married Ahinoam from Jezreel, making both of them his wives. 44 Saul, meanwhile, had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to a man from Gallim named Palti son of Laish.
Footnotes
- 24:1 Verses 24:1-22 are numbered 24:2-23 in Hebrew text.
- 25:1 As in Greek version (see also 25:2); Hebrew reads Paran.
- 25:18 Hebrew 5 seahs [36.5 liters].
- 25:22 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads May God strike and kill the enemies of David.
- 25:25 The name Nabal means “fool.”
- 25:37 Hebrew his heart failed him.
1 Samuel 24-25
New International Version
1 Samuel 24-25
New International Version
David Spares Saul’s Life
24 [a]After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.(A)” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look(B) for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.
3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave(C) was there, and Saul went in to relieve(D) himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke(E) of when he said[b] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’”(F) Then David crept up unnoticed and cut(G) off a corner of Saul’s robe.
5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken(H) for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed,(I) or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.
8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.(J) 9 He said to Saul, “Why do you listen(K) when men say, ‘David is bent on harming(L) you’? 10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared(M) you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut(N) off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty(O) of wrongdoing(P) or rebellion. I have not wronged(Q) you, but you are hunting(R) me down to take my life.(S) 12 May the Lord judge(T) between you and me. And may the Lord avenge(U) the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13 As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,(V)’ so my hand will not touch you.
14 “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog?(W) A flea?(X) 15 May the Lord be our judge(Y) and decide(Z) between us. May he consider my cause and uphold(AA) it; may he vindicate(AB) me by delivering(AC) me from your hand.”
16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice,(AD) David my son?” And he wept aloud. 17 “You are more righteous than I,”(AE) he said. “You have treated me well,(AF) but I have treated you badly.(AG) 18 You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered(AH) me into your hands, but you did not kill me. 19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward(AI) you well for the way you treated me today. 20 I know that you will surely be king(AJ) and that the kingdom(AK) of Israel will be established in your hands. 21 Now swear(AL) to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.(AM)”
22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.(AN)
David, Nabal and Abigail
25 Now Samuel died,(AO) and all Israel assembled and mourned(AP) for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah.(AQ) Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran.[c]
2 A certain man in Maon,(AR) who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy.(AS) He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing(AT) in Carmel. 3 His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail.(AU) She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.(AV)
4 While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. 5 So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. 6 Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health(AW) to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!(AX)
7 “‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat(AY) them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. 8 Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever(AZ) you can find for them.’”
9 When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.
10 Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who(BA) is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. 11 Why should I take my bread(BB) and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”
12 David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. 13 David said to his men(BC), “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went(BD) up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.(BE)
14 One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings,(BF) but he hurled insults at them. 15 Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat(BG) us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing.(BH) 16 Night and day they were a wall(BI) around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. 17 Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked(BJ) man that no one can talk to him.”
18 Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs[d] of roasted grain,(BK) a hundred cakes of raisins(BL) and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.(BM) 19 Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead;(BN) I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell(BO) her husband Nabal.
20 As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. 21 David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing.(BP) He has paid(BQ) me back evil(BR) for good. 22 May God deal with David,[e] be it ever so severely,(BS) if by morning I leave alive one male(BT) of all who belong to him!”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground.(BU) 24 She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,(BV) and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25 Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool(BW),(BX) and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. 26 And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed(BY) and from avenging(BZ) yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.(CA) 27 And let this gift,(CB) which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.
28 “Please forgive(CC) your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting(CD) dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles,(CE) and no wrongdoing(CF) will be found in you as long as you live. 29 Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life,(CG) the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl(CH) away as from the pocket of a sling.(CI) 30 When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler(CJ) over Israel, 31 my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember(CK) your servant.”(CL)
32 David said to Abigail, “Praise(CM) be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. 33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed(CN) this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. 34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal(CO) would have been left alive by daybreak.”
35 Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted(CP) your request.”
36 When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high(CQ) spirits and very drunk.(CR) So she told(CS) him nothing at all until daybreak. 37 Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.(CT) 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck(CU) Nabal and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”
Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. 40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”
41 She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 Abigail(CV) quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. 43 David had also married Ahinoam(CW) of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.(CX) 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel[f](CY) son of Laish, who was from Gallim.(CZ)
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 24:1 In Hebrew texts 24:1-22 is numbered 24:2-23.
- 1 Samuel 24:4 Or “Today the Lord is saying
- 1 Samuel 25:1 Hebrew and some Septuagint manuscripts; other Septuagint manuscripts Maon
- 1 Samuel 25:18 That is, probably about 60 pounds or about 27 kilograms
- 1 Samuel 25:22 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew with David’s enemies
- 1 Samuel 25:44 Hebrew Palti, a variant of Paltiel
New Living Translation (NLT)
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.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.