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1 Samuel 23:14-28
New American Standard Bible
1 Samuel 23:14-28
New American Standard Bible
14 David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of (A)Ziph. And Saul searched for him every day, but (B)God did not hand him over to him.
Saul Pursues David
15 Now David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph, at Horesh. 16 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, set out and went to David at Horesh, and [a](C)encouraged him in God. 17 He said to him, “(D)Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel, and I will be second in command to you; and (E)Saul my father knows that as well.” 18 So (F)the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; and David stayed at Horesh, while Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then (G)Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not keeping himself hidden with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on (H)the hill of Hachilah, which is south of [b]Jeshimon? 20 Now then, O king, come down, [c]since you fully desire to [d]do so; and (I)our part shall be to hand him over to the king.” 21 Saul said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, (J)since you have had compassion on me. 22 Go now, be more persistent, and investigate and see his place where [e]he is hiding, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning. 23 So look, and learn about all the hiding places where he keeps himself hidden, and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”
24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of (K)Maon, in the Arabah to the south of [f]Jeshimon. 25 When Saul and his men went to seek him, they informed David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard about it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men (L)were surrounding David and his men to apprehend them. 27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have launched an attack against the land!” 28 So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines; therefore they called that place [g]the Rock of Division.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 23:16 Lit strengthened his hand
- 1 Samuel 23:19 Or the desert
- 1 Samuel 23:20 Lit according to all your soul’s desire
- 1 Samuel 23:20 Lit come down
- 1 Samuel 23:22 Lit his foot is
- 1 Samuel 23:24 Or the desert
- 1 Samuel 23:28 Heb Sela-hammahlekoth; meaning uncertain, possibly Rock of Smoothness (i.e., “Slippery Rock”)
1 Samuel 23:14-28
New International Version
1 Samuel 23:14-28
New International Version
14 David stayed in the wilderness(A) strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph.(B) Day after day Saul searched(C) for him, but God did not(D) 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.(E) 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength(F) in God. 17 “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king(G) over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18 The two of them made a covenant(H) before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.
19 The Ziphites(I) went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us(J) in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah,(K) south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving(L) him into your hands.”
21 Saul replied, “The Lord bless(M) you for your concern(N) 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(O) 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,(P) in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.(Q) 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(R) 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]
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 23:15 Or he was afraid because
- 1 Samuel 23:28 Sela Hammahlekoth means rock of parting.
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