1 And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.2 And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.3 But David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?4 And David inquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into thy hand.5 And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought against the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.7 And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Then Saul said, God has cast him off into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a city that has gates and bars.8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.9 And when David knew that Saul devised mischief against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod.10 Then said David, Jehovah, God of Israel, thy servant hath heard for certain that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.11 Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.12 And David said, Will the citizens of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver {thee} up.13 Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, and he forbore to go forth.14 And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds, and abode in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.15 And David saw that Saul had 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 to him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father will not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next to thee; and that also Saul my father knows.18 And they two made a covenant before Jehovah; and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.19 And the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the waste?20 And now, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and it will be for us to deliver him up into the king's hand.21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of Jehovah; for ye have compassion upon me.22 Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his track is, who has seen him there; for it is told me that he deals very subtilly.23 And see, and ascertain all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come ye again to me with sure information, that I may go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout 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 the waste.25 And Saul and his men went to seek {him}. And they told David; and he came down from the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard {that}, and 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 from Saul; and Saul and his men sought to surround David and his men to take them.27 But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste thee and come; for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.28 And Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines; therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.29 And David went up from thence, and abode in the strongholds of Engedi.

1 Intussen is aan Dawid meegedeel en gesê: Kyk, die Filistyne veg teen Keh¡la, en hulle plunder die dorsvloere.2 Toe raadpleeg Dawid die HERE en vra: Sal ek gaan en daardie Filistyne verslaan? En die HERE sê vir Dawid: Gaan en verslaan die Filistyne en verlos Keh¡la.3 Maar die manne van Dawid sê vir hom: Kyk, hier in Juda is ons al bevrees, hoeveel te meer dan as ons na Keh¡la trek teen die slagordes van die Filistyne?4 Toe raadpleeg Dawid die HERE nog weer, en die HERE het hom geantwoord en gesê: Maak klaar, trek af na Keh¡la, want Ek gee die Filistyne in jou hand.5 Daarom het Dawid met sy manne na Keh¡la getrek en teen die Filistyne geveg en hulle vee weggedrywe en 'n groot slag onder hulle geslaan. So het Dawid dan die inwoners van Keh¡la verlos.7 Daarop kry Saul berig dat Dawid in Keh¡la gekom het, en Saul sê: God het hom in my hand oorgelewer, want hy het homself opgesluit deurdat hy in 'n stad met poorte en grendels ingegaan het.8 Daarom het Saul al die manskappe vir die geveg opgeroep om af te trek na Keh¡la ten einde Dawid en sy manne in te sluit.9 Toe Dawid gewaar dat Saul onheil teen hom beraam, sê hy aan die priester Abjatar: Bring die skouerkleed nader.10 En Dawid sê: HERE, God van Israel, u kneg het verseker gehoor dat Saul na Keh¡la wil trek om die stad om my ontwil te verwoes.11 Sal die burgers van Keh¡la my in sy hand uitlewer? Sal Saul afkom soos u kneg verneem het? HERE, God van Israel, gee u kneg dit tog te kenne! Toe antwoord die HERE: Hy sal afkom.12 Daarop sê Dawid: Sal die burgers van Keh¡la my en my manne in die hand van Saul uitlewer? En die HERE antwoord: Hulle sal uitlewer.13 En Dawid het klaargemaak met sy manne, omtrent ses honderd man -- hulle het uit Keh¡la uitgetrek en rondgetrek waar hulle maar kon. Toe Saul berig ontvang dat Dawid uit Keh¡la ontsnap het, het hy opgehou om uit te trek.14 En Dawid het gebly in die woestyn, in die bergvestings, ook op die gebergte in die woestyn Sif; en Saul het hom aldae gesoek, maar God het hom nie in sy hand oorgegee nie.15 Maar Dawid het bemerk dat Saul uittrek om sy lewe te soek. Dawid was naamlik in die woestyn Sif, in Hores.16 Daarop het Jonatan, die seun van Saul, hom klaargemaak en na Dawid in Hores gegaan. En hy het hom bemoedig in God17 en vir hom gesê: Vrees nie, want die hand van Saul, my vader, sal jou nie vind nie, maar jy sal koning word oor Israel, en ek sal die tweede onder jou wees; en my vader Saul weet dit ook goed.18 Toe sluit hulle twee 'n verbond voor die aangesig van die HERE; en Dawid het in Hores gebly, maar Jonatan het na sy huis gegaan.19 Daarna het daar Sifiete opgegaan na Saul, na G¡bea, en gesê: Steek Dawid hom nie weg by ons in die bergvestings, in Hores, op die heuwel Hag¡la wat suid van die wildernis lê nie?20 En is dit nou na u hartelus om af te kom, o koning, kom dan af, en ons sal sorg om hom in die hand van die koning uit te lewer.21 En Saul sê: Mag julle geseënd wees deur die HERE, omdat julle medelyde met my gehad het.22 Gaan tog heen, maak verder klaar en ondersoek en bekyk die plek waar sy spoor is, wie hom daar gesien het; want aan my is gesê dat hy baie listig is.23 Daarom, bekyk en ondersoek al die skuilplekke waar hy hom wegsteek, en kom verseker na my terug, dan sal ek met julle saamgaan; en as hy in die land is, sal ek hom opspoor onder al die geslagte van Juda.24 En hulle het klaargemaak en voor Saul uit na Sif gegaan, terwyl Dawid en sy manne in die woestyn Maon was, in die Vlakte suid van die wildernis.25 Toe Saul met sy manne trek om hom te soek, is dit aan Dawid geboodskap; daarom het hy afgetrek na die rots en in die woestyn Maon gebly. Maar Saul het dit gehoor en Dawid agternagejaag, die woestyn Maon in.26 En Saul het aan hierdie kant van die berg getrek, maar Dawid met sy manne was aan die ander kant van die berg. En toe Dawid in angs vlug om van Saul weg te kom, terwyl Saul en sy manne Dawid en sy manne omsingel om hulle te vang,27 kom daar 'n boodskapper by Saul en sê: Maak gou en kom, want die Filistyne het 'n inval in die land gedoen.28 Daarop het Saul omgedraai en Dawid nie meer agternagejaag nie, maar die Filistyne tegemoetgetrek. Daarom noem hulle daardie plek Rots van Skeiding.