大卫逃亡

21 大卫来到挪伯的祭司亚希米勒那里。亚希米勒战战兢兢地出来迎接他,问道:“你为什么独自一人,没有随从呢?” 大卫答道:“王差遣我来办一件事,他吩咐我不可把事情泄露给任何人。我已经吩咐部下在某处跟我会合。 现在你这里有什么吃的吗?请给我五个饼,或任何吃的东西。” 祭司答道:“我们没有普通的饼,只有圣饼[a],如果你的部下没有亲近过女色,就可以吃。” 大卫答道:“当然没有亲近过女色。每逢我们出来办事,即使是平常的任务,我的部下总是保持圣洁,何况这次是特别的任务。” 于是,祭司把圣饼给他,因为那里没有别的饼,只有从耶和华的会幕里更换下来的供饼。 那天,扫罗的司牧长以东人多益碰巧在耶和华的会幕。 大卫问亚希米勒:“你这里有没有刀枪?因为王的事紧急,仓促间我连兵器也没有带。” 祭司答道:“你在以拉谷杀的非利士人歌利亚的刀在这里,用布包着放在以弗得后面。如果你要就拿去吧,这里没有别的刀了。”大卫答道:“这刀再好不过了,把它给我吧。”

10 那日,大卫为了躲避扫罗,逃往迦特王亚吉那里。 11 亚吉的臣仆对亚吉说:“这个大卫不是以色列的王吗?民众跳舞歌唱‘扫罗杀死千千,大卫杀死万万’,歌颂的不是他吗?” 12 大卫听到这些话,担心迦特王亚吉会加害于他, 13 就在他们面前装作疯子,在城门上胡乱涂画,任由唾沫沿着胡子流下来。 14 亚吉对臣仆说:“你们看,这是个疯子,为什么把他带到我这里来? 15 我这里缺少疯子吗?你们怎么可以把这个家伙带到我家里,在我面前疯疯癫癫呢?”

扫罗残杀祭司

22 大卫离开迦特,逃到亚杜兰洞。他的兄弟和亲属知道后,都来到他那里, 所有受压迫的、负债的和心怀不满的人都纷纷来投奔他。大卫就做了他们的首领,跟随他的有四百多人。 后来,大卫到摩押的米斯巴去,请求摩押王收留他的父母,直到他明白上帝给他的安排为止。 大卫把父母留在了摩押王那里。在大卫住堡垒期间,他的父母一直住在摩押。 迦得先知吩咐大卫离开堡垒回犹大去,大卫就动身前往哈列的树林。

当时,扫罗正在基比亚的拉玛,坐在垂丝柳下,手中拿着矛,臣仆侍立在左右。他得知大卫一行人的行踪后, 就对左右的臣仆说:“便雅悯人啊,你们听着!难道耶西的儿子会给你们田地和葡萄园吗?他能立你们做千夫长和百夫长吗? 为什么你们一同谋害我?我的儿子跟耶西的儿子立约,没有人告诉我。就是今天我的儿子鼓动我的臣仆来谋害我,也没有人关心我,告诉我。” 以东人多益正站在扫罗的臣仆中,他说:“我在挪伯亲眼看见耶西的儿子到了亚希突的儿子亚希米勒那里。 10 亚希米勒为他求问耶和华,给他食物,还把非利士人歌利亚的刀给了他。”

11 于是,扫罗派人把挪伯的祭司——亚希突的儿子亚希米勒及其家人都召来。他们都来到王面前。 12 扫罗说:“亚希突的儿子,听着!”亚希米勒答道:“我主啊,我在这里。” 13 扫罗说:“你为什么和耶西的儿子一同谋害我?你为什么把食物和刀给他,又为他求问耶和华,使他像今天这样背叛我,伺机害我呢?” 14 亚希米勒答道:“王的臣仆中有谁像大卫那样忠心呢?他是王的女婿,又是王的护卫长,在王室中受尊重。 15 那也不是我第一次为他求问耶和华,求王不要因这事加罪于我或我的家人,因为我根本不知道谋反的事。” 16 王却说:“亚希米勒啊,你和你全家都必死无疑!” 17 他就命令身旁的护卫,说:“把这些耶和华的祭司杀掉,因为他们跟大卫同谋,明知道大卫在潜逃,却不来告诉我。”扫罗的臣仆不愿意下手杀害耶和华的祭司。 18 扫罗就对多益说:“你去把祭司杀掉!”以东人多益就杀了他们。那天,他下手杀了八十五个穿细麻布以弗得的祭司。 19 他又把祭司城挪伯的男女老少、牛羊和驴全部杀掉。

20 只有亚希米勒的一个儿子亚比亚他逃出去,投奔了大卫。 21 亚比亚他把扫罗屠杀耶和华祭司的事告诉了大卫, 22 大卫说:“那天我见以东人多益在那里,就知道他一定会告诉扫罗。是我连累了你父亲一家。 23 你就放心留在我这里,不要害怕,谁想杀你,就是想杀我。你在我这里很安全。”

大卫营救基伊拉

23 一天,大卫得知非利士人正在攻打基伊拉,抢掠麦场, 便求问耶和华:“我可以去攻打非利士人吗?”耶和华答道:“你可以去攻打非利士人,营救基伊拉。” 大卫的部下却对他说:“我们在犹大这里尚且胆战心惊,何况去基伊拉攻打非利士军队呢!” 大卫再求问耶和华,耶和华答道:“到基伊拉去吧,我一定把非利士人交在你手里。” 于是,大卫和部下到基伊拉去攻打非利士人,大败敌人,夺取了他们的牲畜,救出基伊拉人。

亚希米勒的儿子祭司亚比亚他到基伊拉投奔大卫时,把以弗得也带了去。 扫罗得知大卫在基伊拉,就说:“这一次是上帝把他交在我手中了,因为他竟然自投网罗,进入有门有闩的城。” 扫罗召集全军准备攻打基伊拉,围困大卫和他的部下。 大卫知道了扫罗的计谋,便吩咐祭司亚比亚他把以弗得带来, 10 然后说:“耶和华,以色列的上帝啊,仆人听说扫罗要来毁灭基伊拉,因为我在这里。 11 基伊拉的人会不会把我交给扫罗呢?扫罗是不是像我听说的那样要来这里呢?耶和华,以色列的上帝啊,求你告诉我。”耶和华说:“扫罗一定会来。” 12 大卫又问耶和华:“基伊拉的人会不会把我和我的部下交给扫罗呢?”耶和华说:“他们一定会。” 13 于是,大卫率领自己的六百部下离开基伊拉,到处流浪。扫罗得知大卫已经离开基伊拉,就不去了。

14 大卫住在旷野的堡垒或西弗旷野的山区。扫罗天天搜捕大卫,但上帝没有把大卫交在他的手中。 15 大卫在西弗旷野的何利沙得知扫罗要来杀他。 16 扫罗的儿子约拿单去何利沙见大卫,鼓励大卫坚定地信靠上帝。 17 他对大卫说:“不要害怕,我父亲害不了你。你将做以色列的王,我将做你的宰相。我父亲也明白这一点。” 18 二人在耶和华面前立了约。之后,大卫仍留在何利沙,约拿单则回家去了。

19 西弗人去基比亚见扫罗,说:“大卫就躲在我们那里,在旷野南面哈基拉山上何利沙的堡垒里。 20 王啊,你随时都可以下来,我们一定把他交在王的手里。” 21 扫罗说:“愿耶和华赐福给你们!因为你们体恤我。 22 我听说他非常狡猾,你们再回去弄清楚他的行踪,谁在那里见过他, 23 查明他的藏身之处,回来如实告诉我,然后我会与你们同去。如果他在犹大境内,我要搜遍千家万户,找到他。” 24 于是,西弗人先回去了。当时大卫和他的部下在旷野南面的亚拉巴,即玛云旷野。 25 大卫听说扫罗和手下正在搜寻他,便率领部下前往玛云旷野的磐石,住在那里。扫罗得知后,便去玛云旷野追赶大卫。 26 扫罗在山这边走,大卫和他的部下在山那边走,急急忙忙地躲避扫罗。扫罗和他的手下四面包围过来,眼看就要抓住他们了。 27 这时,扫罗的信使前来禀报,说非利士人前来犯境,请王速回。 28 扫罗只好放弃追赶大卫,回师迎战非利士人。因此,那地方叫“脱险岩”。 29 后来,大卫从那里转移到隐·基底的堡垒里。

Footnotes

  1. 21:4 圣饼”指分别出来献给耶和华的饼。

21 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.

And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.

10 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?

15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

22 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.

And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.

And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.

And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)

Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

10 And he enquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.

12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.

13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?

15 Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord: because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.

18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.

19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the Lord's priests.

22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house.

23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.

23 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.

Therefore David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.

And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

Then David enquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

10 Then said David, O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down.

12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up.

13 Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.

14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.

18 And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand.

21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have compassion on me.

22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly.

23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

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

25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David; wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.

29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.

David at Nob

21 [a]David went to Nob,(A) to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled(B) when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”

But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread(C) on hand; however, there is some consecrated(D) bread here—provided the men have kept(E) themselves from women.”

David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual(F) whenever[b] I set out. The men’s bodies are holy(G) even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” So the priest gave him the consecrated bread,(H) since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.

Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg(I) the Edomite,(J) Saul’s chief shepherd.

David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.”

The priest replied, “The sword(K) of Goliath(L) the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah,(M) is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.”

David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

David at Gath

10 That day David fled from Saul and went(N) to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances:

“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his tens of thousands’?”(O)

12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. 13 So he pretended to be insane(P) in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? 15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”

David at Adullam and Mizpah

22 David left Gath and escaped to the cave(Q) of Adullam.(R) When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered(S) around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” So he left them with the king of Moab,(T) and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.

But the prophet Gad(U) said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.(V)

Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated,(W) spear in hand, under the tamarisk(X) tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders(Y) of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired(Z) against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant(AA) with the son of Jesse.(AB) None of you is concerned(AC) about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”

But Doeg(AD) the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub(AE) at Nob.(AF) 10 Ahimelek inquired(AG) of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions(AH) and the sword(AI) of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”

“Yes, my lord,” he answered.

13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired(AJ) against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”

14 Ahimelek answered the king, “Who(AK) of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? 15 Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”

16 But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.(AL)

17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”

But the king’s officials were unwilling(AM) to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

18 The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.”(AN) So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.(AO) 19 He also put to the sword(AP) Nob,(AQ) the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

20 But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub,(AR) named Abiathar,(AS) escaped and fled to join David.(AT) 21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg(AU) the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. 23 Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you(AV) is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”

David Saves Keilah

23 When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah(AW) and are looting the threshing floors,”(AX) he inquired(AY) of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

Once again David inquired(AZ) of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines(BA) into your hand.(BB) So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. (Now Abiathar(BC) son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod(BD) down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

Saul Pursues David

Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands,(BE) for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”(BF) And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar(BG) the priest, “Bring the ephod.(BH) 10 David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”

And the Lord said, “He will.”

12 Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender(BI) me and my men to Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will.”

13 So David and his men,(BJ) 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(BK) strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph.(BL) Day after day Saul searched(BM) for him, but God did not(BN) give David into his hands.

15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that[c] Saul had come out to take his life.(BO) 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength(BP) in God. 17 “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king(BQ) over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18 The two of them made a covenant(BR) before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

19 The Ziphites(BS) went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us(BT) in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah,(BU) south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving(BV) him into your hands.”

21 Saul replied, “The Lord bless(BW) you for your concern(BX) 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(BY) 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,(BZ) in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.(CA) 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(CB) 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.[d] 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds(CC) of En Gedi.[e](CD)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-15 is numbered 21:2-16.
  2. 1 Samuel 21:5 Or from us in the past few days since
  3. 1 Samuel 23:15 Or he was afraid because
  4. 1 Samuel 23:28 Sela Hammahlekoth means rock of parting.
  5. 1 Samuel 23:29 In Hebrew texts this verse (23:29) is numbered 24:1.