1 Samuel 23
New American Standard Bible
David Saves Keilah
23 Then they informed David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against (A)Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors.” 2 So David (B)inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and [a]attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and [b]attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are fearful here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?” 4 So David inquired of the Lord once more. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for (C)I am going to hand the Philistines over to you.” 5 Then David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines; and he drove away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech (D)fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7 When it was reported to Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has handed him over to me, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars.” 8 So Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. 9 But David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to (E)Abiathar the priest, “(F)Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, please, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” And the Lord said, “(G)They will hand you over.” 13 Then David and his men, (H)about six hundred, rose up and departed from Keilah, and they went (I)wherever they could go. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up [c]the pursuit. 14 David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of (J)Ziph. And Saul searched for him every day, but (K)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 [d](L)encouraged him in God. 17 He said to him, “(M)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 (N)Saul my father knows that as well.” 18 So (O)the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; and David stayed at Horesh, while Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then (P)Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not keeping himself hidden with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on (Q)the hill of Hachilah, which is south of [e]Jeshimon? 20 Now then, O king, come down, [f]since you fully desire to [g]do so; and (R)our part shall be to hand him over to the king.” 21 Saul said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, (S)since you have had compassion on me. 22 Go now, be more persistent, and investigate and see his place where [h]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 (T)Maon, in the Arabah to the south of [i]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 (U)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 [j]the Rock of Division. 29 [k]And David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of (V)Engedi.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 23:2 Lit strike
- 1 Samuel 23:2 Lit strike
- 1 Samuel 23:13 Lit going out
- 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 23:29 Ch 24:1 in Heb
1 Samuel 23
Revised Standard Version
David Saves the City of Keilah
23 Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Kei′lah, and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Kei′lah.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Kei′lah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Kei′lah; for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5 And David and his men went to Kei′lah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and made a great slaughter among them. So David delivered the inhabitants of Kei′lah.
6 When Abi′athar the son of Ahim′elech fled to David to Kei′lah, he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Kei′lah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand; for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Kei′lah, to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; and he said to Abi′athar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then said David, “O Lord, the God of Israel, thy servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Kei′lah, to destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the men of Kei′lah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as thy servant has heard? O Lord, the 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 Kei′lah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will surrender you.” 13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Kei′lah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Kei′lah, he gave up the expedition. 14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
David Eludes Saul in the Wilderness
15 And David was afraid because[a] Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose, and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said to him, “Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; Saul my father also knows this.” 18 And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gib′e-ah, saying, “Does not David hide among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachi′lah, which is south of Jeshi′mon? 20 Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down; and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.” 21 And Saul said, “May you be blessed by the Lord; for you have had compassion on me. 22 Go, make yet more sure; know and see the place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for it is told me that he is very cunning. 23 See therefore, and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” 24 And they arose, and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.
Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Ma′on, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshi′mon. 25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told; therefore he went down to the rock which is[b] in the wilderness of Ma′on. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Ma′on. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was making haste to get away from Saul, as Saul and his men were closing in upon David and his men to capture them, 27 when a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Make haste and come; for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land.” 28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines; therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape. 29 [c] And David went up from there, and dwelt in the strongholds of En-ge′di.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 23:15 Or saw that
- 1 Samuel 23:25 Gk: Heb and dwelt
- 1 Samuel 23:29 Ch 24.1 in Heb
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.