1 Samuel 23
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 23
David Rescues Keilah. 1 Some people then spoke to David saying, “Look, the Philistines are attacking Keilah and they are robbing the threshing floors.” 2 David inquired of the Lord saying, “Shall I go to attack these Philistines?” The Lord said to David, “Go attack the Philistines and rescue Keilah.” 3 David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more would we be if we went to Keilah to fight against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 David inquired of the Lord once again, and the Lord said, “Rise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hands.”
5 David and his men went to Keilah and they fought with the Philistines. They slaughtered many of them, and they brought away their livestock. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 When Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to David at Keilah, he went down with an ephod in his hand.
Saul Chases David.[a] 7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hands for he has trapped himself behind gates and bars.” 8 Then Saul assembled all of the people for war, to go down to Keilah and lay siege to David and his men.
9 David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him, so he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has truly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on account of me. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hands? Will Saul come down here as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, I beg you to tell your servant.” The Lord said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hands of Saul?” The Lord answered, “They will deliver you over.”
13 So David and his men (there were around six hundred of them) left Keilah and went wherever they could go. Saul heard that David had left Keilah, so he halted the pursuit.
14 David stayed in the wilderness strongholds, and he remained in the hill country of the Desert of Ziph. Saul sought him every single day, but God did not deliver him into his hands. 15 David realized that Saul was coming out to seek his life while he was in the Desert of Ziph at Horesh.
16 Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in Horesh and encouraged him in God. 17 This is what he said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul, my father, is not going to find you. You will be the king over Israel, and I will be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.” 18 The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan returned home.
19 The Ziphites then came up to Saul in Gibeah saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, on the hill of Hachilah which is to the south of Jeshimon? 20 Therefore, come down as you wish to, O king, come down, and for our part we will deliver him into the king’s hands.” 21 Saul said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22 Go, please, and prepare yourselves. Investigate and reconnoiter where he is hidden and find out who has seen him there, for I have been told that he is very clever. 23 See, therefore, and find out about all the places where he is hiding, then come back to me with certain information. Then I will go with you, and if he is in the land, I will search for him all throughout the thousands of Judah.”
24 Escape from Saul. They rose up and preceded Saul to Ziph. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and his men were searching, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. Saul heard about this and pursued David in the Desert of Maon.
26 Saul was on one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain. David, out of fear, hurried to get away. Saul and his men were trying to surround David and his men to capture them.
27 A messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have invaded the land.” 28 Saul broke off his pursuit of David and he left to fight against the Philistines. This is why they called that place the Rock of Escape.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 23:7 Saul again misreads the signs as if God would orchestrate David’s demise by presenting Saul with an opportunity to kill him. His behavior shows how out of touch with God’s ways he has strayed.
1 Samuel 23
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Deliverance at Keilah
23 It was reported to David, ‘Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah(A) and raiding the threshing-floors.’
2 So David enquired of the Lord:(B) ‘Should I launch an attack against these Philistines? ’
The Lord answered David, ‘Launch an attack against the Philistines and rescue Keilah.’
3 But David’s men said to him, ‘Look, we’re afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces! ’
4 Once again, David enquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, ‘Go at once to Keilah, for I will hand the Philistines over to you.’(C) 5 Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, drove their livestock away, and inflicted heavy losses on them. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, and he brought an ephod with him.
7 When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, ‘God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates.’ 8 Then Saul summoned all the troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9 When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to the priest Abiathar,(D) ‘Bring the ephod.’(E)
10 Then David said, ‘Lord God of Israel, your servant has reliable information that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, please tell your servant.’
The Lord answered, ‘He will come down.’
12 Then David asked, ‘Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul? ’
‘They will,’(F) the Lord responded.
13 So David and his men, numbering about six hundred,(G) left Keilah at once and moved from place to place.(H) When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition. 14 David then stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph.(I) Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him.(J)
A Renewed Covenant
15 David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. 16 Then Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith[a] in God,(K) 17 saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel,(L) and I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.’(M) 18 Then the two of them made a covenant in the Lord’s presence.(N) Afterwards, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.
David’s Narrow Escape
19 Some Ziphites(O) came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, ‘Isn’t it true that David is hiding among us in the strongholds in Horesh on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon? 20 So now, whenever the king wants to come down, let him come down. As for us, we will be glad to hand him over to the king.’(P)
21 ‘May you be blessed by the Lord,’ replied Saul, ‘for you have shown concern for me.(Q) 22 Go and check again. Investigate[b] where he goes[c] and who has seen him there; they tell me he is extremely cunning. 23 Investigate[d] all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with accurate information, and I’ll go with you. If it turns out he really is in the region, I’ll search for him among all the clans[e] of Judah.’ 24 So they went to Ziph ahead of Saul.
Now David and his men were in the wilderness near Maon(R) in the Arabah south of Jeshimon, 25 and Saul and his men went to look for him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David there.
26 Saul went along one side of the mountain and David and his men went along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away from Saul, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.(S) 27 Then a messenger came to Saul saying, ‘Come quickly, because the Philistines have raided the land! ’ 28 So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation. 29 From there David went up and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.(T)
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