1 And they sent word to David, saying, The Philistines are fighting against Keilah and taking the grain from the grain-floors.2 So David, questioning the Lord, said, Am I to go and make an attack on these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go and make an attack on the Philistines so that Keilah may be kept from falling into their hands.3 And David's men said to him, Even here in Judah we are full of fear: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?4 Then David put the question to the Lord again, and the Lord answering said, Up! go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into your hands.5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and had a fight with the Philistines, and took away their cattle, and put them to the sword with great destruction. So David was the saviour of the people of Keilah.6 Now when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, went in flight to David, he came down to Keilah with the ephod in his hand.7 And news was given to Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, Now God has given him into my hands; for by going into a walled town with locked doors, he has let himself be shut in.8 And Saul sent for all the people to come to the fight, and go down to Keilah to make an attack on David and his men.9 And it was clear to David that Saul had evil designs against him, and he said to Abiathar the priest, Come here with the ephod.10 Then David said, O Lord, the God of Israel, news has been given to your servant that it is Saul's purpose to come to Keilah and send destruction on the town because of me.11 And now, is it true, as they have said to me, that Saul is coming? O Lord, the God of Israel, give ear to your servant, and say if these things are so. And the Lord said, He is coming down.12 Then David said, Will the men of Keilah give me and my men up to Saul? and the Lord said, They will give you up.13 Then David and his men, about six hundred of them, went out of Keilah, and got away wherever they were able to go. And Saul, hearing that David had got away from Keilah, did not go there.14 And David kept in the waste land, in safe places, waiting in the hill-country in the waste land of Ziph. And Saul was searching for him every day, but God did not give him up into his hands.15 And David was full of fear, in the knowledge that Saul had come out to take his life; and David was in the waste land of Ziph, in Horesh.16 And Saul's son Jonathan went to David in Horesh, and made his hands strong in God;17 And said to him, Have no fear, for Saul my father will not get you into his power; and you will be king of Israel, and I will be by your side, and my father Saul is certain of this.18 And the two of them made an agreement before the Lord: and David went on living in Horesh, and Jonathan went back to his house.19 Then the Ziphites came up to Gibeah to see Saul, and said, Is not David living secretly among us in the strong places in Horesh, in the hill of Hachilah to the south of the waste land?20 So now, O king, have your soul's desire and come down, and we, for our part, will give him up into the king's hands.21 And Saul said, The Lord's blessing will be yours, for you have had pity on me.22 Go now, and take more steps, and see where he is living: for they say that he is expert in deceit.23 So take care to get knowledge of all the secret places where he is taking cover, and be certain to come back to me, and I will go with you: and without doubt, if he is anywhere in the land, I will get him, among all the families of Judah.24 And they went back and came to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the waste land of Maon, in the dry land south of the waste land.25 And Saul and his men went in search of him. And David had word of it, so he came down to the rock in the waste land of Maon. And Saul, hearing of this, went after David into the waste land of Maon.26 And Saul and his men went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men went on the other: and David's purpose was to get away as quickly as possible, for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men were making a circle round David and his men in order to take them.27 But a man came to Saul saying, Be quick and come; for the Philistines have made an attack on the land.28 So turning back from going after David, Saul went against the Philistines: so that place was named Sela-hammah-lekoth.

1 Et annuntiaverunt David, dicentes : Ecce Philisthiim oppugnant Ceilam et diripiunt areas. 2 Consuluit ergo David Dominum, dicens : Num vadam, et percutiam Philisthos istos ? Et ait Dominus ad David : Vade, et percuties Philisthos, et Ceilam salvabis. 3 Et dixerunt viri qui erant cum David ad eum : Ecce nos hic in Juda consistentes timemus : quanto magis si ierimus in Ceilam adversum agmina Philisthinorum ? 4 Rursum ergo David consuluit Dominum. Qui respondens, ait ei : Surge, et vade in Ceilam : ego enim tradam Philisthos in manu tua. 5 Abiit ergo David et viri ejus in Ceilam, et pugnavit adversum Philisthos : et abegit jumenta eorum, et percussit eos plaga magna : et salvavit David habitatores Ceil. 6 Porro eo tempore quo fugiebat Abiathar filius Achimelech ad David in Ceilam, ephod secum habens descenderat.7 Nuntiatum est autem Sauli quod venisset David in Ceilam : et ait Saul : Tradidit eum Deus in manus meas, conclususque est introgressus urbem, in qua port et ser sunt. 8 Et prcepit Saul omni populo ut ad pugnam descenderet in Ceilam, et obsideret David et viros ejus. 9 Quod cum David rescisset quia prpararet ei Saul clam malum, dixit ad Abiathar sacerdotem : Applica ephod. 10 Et ait David : Domine Deus Isral, audivit famam servus tuus, quod disponat Saul venire in Ceilam, ut evertat urbem propter me : 11 si tradent me viri Ceil in manus ejus ? et si descendet Saul, sicut audivit servus tuus ? Domine Deus Isral, indica servo tuo. Et ait Dominus : Descendet. 12 Dixitque David : Si tradent me viri Ceil, et viros qui sunt mecum, in manus Saul ? Et dixit Dominus : Tradent. 13 Surrexit ergo David et viri ejus quasi sexcenti, et egressi de Ceila, huc atque illuc vagabantur incerti : nuntiatumque est Sauli quod fugisset David de Ceila, et salvatus esset : quam ob rem dissimulavit exire. 14 Morabatur autem David in deserto in locis firmissimis, mansitque in monte solitudinis Ziph, in monte opaco : qurebat eum tamen Saul cunctis diebus, et non tradidit eum Deus in manus ejus. 15 Et vidit David quod egressus esset Saul ut qureret animam ejus. Porro David erat in deserto Ziph in silva. 16 Et surrexit Jonathas filius Saul, et abiit ad David in silvam, et confortavit manus ejus in Deo : dixitque ei : 17 Ne timeas : neque enim inveniet te manus Saul patris mei, et tu regnabis super Isral, et ego ero tibi secundus : sed et Saul pater meus scit hoc. 18 Percussit ergo uterque fdus coram Domino : mansitque David in silva, Jonathas autem reversus est in domum suam.19 Ascenderunt autem Ziphi ad Saul in Gabaa, dicentes : Nonne ecce David latitat apud nos in locis tutissimis silv, in colle Hachila, qu est ad dexteram deserti ? 20 Nunc ergo, sicut desideravit anima tua ut descenderes, descende : nostrum autem erit ut tradamus eum in manus regis. 21 Dixitque Saul : Benedicti vos a Domino, quia doluistis vicem meam. 22 Abite ergo, oro, et diligentius prparate, et curiosius agite, et considerate locum ubi sit pes ejus, vel quis viderit eum ibi : recogitat enim de me, quod callide insidier ei. 23 Considerate, et videte omnia latibula ejus in quibus absconditur : et revertimini ad me ad rem certam, ut vadam vobiscum. Quod si etiam in terram se abstruserit, perscrutabor eum in cunctis millibus Juda.24 At illi surgentes abierunt in Ziph ante Saul : David autem et viri ejus erant in deserto Maon, in campestribus ad dexteram Jesimon. 25 Ivit ergo Saul et socii ejus ad qurendum eum. Et nuntiatum est David : statimque descendit ad petram, et versabatur in deserto Maon : quod cum audisset Saul, persecutus est David in deserto Maon. 26 Et ibat Saul ad latus montis ex parte una : David autem et viri ejus erant in latere montis ex parte altera. Porro David desperabat se posse evadere a facie Saul : itaque Saul et viri ejus in modum coron cingebant David et viros ejus, ut caperent eos. 27 Et nuntius venit ad Saul, dicens : Festina, et veni, quoniam infuderunt se Philisthiim super terram. 28 Reversus est ergo Saul desistens persequi David, et perrexit in occursum Philisthinorum : propter hoc vocaverunt locum illum, Petram dividentem.