1 David was told, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors."
2 Therefore David inquired of Yahweh, saying, "Shall I go and strike these Philistines?"
Yahweh said to David, "Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah."
3 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 Then David inquired of Yahweh yet again. Yahweh answered him, and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."
5 David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 Saul was told that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, "God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars." 8 Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him. He said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." 10 Then David said, "O Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant."
Yahweh said, "He will come down."
12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?"
Yahweh said, "They will deliver you up."
13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went wherever they could go. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah; and he gave up going there. 14 David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand. 15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the woods.
16 Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 He said to him, "Don’t be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father won’t find you; and you will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also." 18 They both made a covenant before Yahweh. Then David stayed in the woods and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doesn’t David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? 20 Now therefore, O king, come down. According to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand."
21 Saul said, "You are blessed by Yahweh, for you have had compassion on me. 22 Please go make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I have been told that he is very cunning. 23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself; and come again to me with certainty, and I will go with you. It shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah."
24 They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul; but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert. 25 Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David hurried to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men to take them. 27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land!" 28 So Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth.
29 David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
1 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.
2 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go and smite the Philistines and save Keilah.
3 [But] David's men said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah, how much more then if we go to Keilah against the army of the Philistines?
4 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock 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 [that] the ephod came in his hand.
7 And it was told Saul how David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars.
8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 But David understood that Saul devised evil against him, and he said to Abiathar, the priest, Bring here the ephod.
10 Then David said, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as thy servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.
12 Then David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver [thee] up.
13 So David and his men, [who were] about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went from one place to another. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, and he forbare to go forth.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
15 And David, seeing that Saul had come out to seek his soul, [stayed] in the woods in the wilderness of Ziph.
16 Then Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.
17 And he said unto him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul, my father, shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and even my father knows this.
18 And the two made a covenant before the LORD, and David abode in the woods, and Jonathan returned to his house.
19 Then those of Ziph came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the woods in the hill of Hachilah, which [is] on the right hand side of the wilderness?
20 Now, therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down, and our part [shall be] to deliver him into the king's hand.
21 And Saul said, Blessed [are] ye of the LORD, for ye have compassion on me.
22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet and know and see his place where he places his foot [and] who has seen him there, for it is told me [that] he deals with great prudence.
23 See, therefore, and take knowledge of all the hiding places where he hides himself and come again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he is in the land that I will search him out with all 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 right hand side of the wilderness.
25 Saul also and his men went to seek [him]. And they told David, and he came down [from there] into a rock and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard [that], 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 the presence of Saul, for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Make haste and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land.
28 Saul returned, therefore, from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. For this reason they called that place Selahammahlekoth.
29 And David went up from there and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.: