h.
David's defeating the Philistines and staying in Keilah
1 Sam. 23:1-12
1 Sam. 23
:1
23:1
And some told David, saying, The Philistines are now fighting against Keilah and robbing the threshing floors.
1 Sam. 23
:2
23:2
And David
ainquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and strike these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.
1 Sam. 23
:3
23:3
And David’s men said to him, Here we are, afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines!
1 Sam. 23
:4
23:4
So David inquired yet again of Jehovah. And Jehovah answered him and said, Rise up; go down to Keilah, for I have delivered the Philistines into your hand.
1 Sam. 23
:5
23:5
Then David and his men went to Keilah and fought against the Philistines and carried off their cattle and struck them down with a great slaughter. And David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
1 Sam. 23
:6
23:6
Now it so happened that when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an
aephod in his hand.
1 Sam. 23
:7
23:7
Then it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has
1delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, because he has entered a city with gates and bars.
1 Sam. 23
:8
23:8
And Saul summoned all the people to battle, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
1 Sam. 23
:9
23:9
But when David learned that Saul was planning evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.
1 Sam. 23
:10
23:10
And David said, O Jehovah the God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah in order to destroy the city on my account.
1 Sam. 23
:11
23:11
Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Jehovah the God of Israel, do tell Your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
1 Sam. 23
:12
23:12
And David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver
you.
i.
David's remaining in the wilderness of Ziph
1 Sam. 23:13-28
1 Sam. 23
:13
23:13
So David and his men, about six hundred men, rose up and went forth from Keilah; and they went about wherever they could. And when it was told Saul that David had slipped away from Keilah, he ceased
his going forth.
1 Sam. 23
:14
23:14
And David remained in the wilderness in strongholds, and he remained in the hill country in the
awilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
1 Sam. 23
:15
23:15
And David saw that Saul went forth to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
1 Sam. 23
:16
23:16
Then Jonathan the son of Saul rose up and went to David at Horesh, and he strengthened his hand in God.
1 Sam. 23
:17
23:17
And he said to him, Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you; and you will become
aking over Israel, and I will be second to you; and even Saul my father knows that.
1 Sam. 23
:18
23:18
And the two of them made a
acovenant before Jehovah. And David remained in Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.
1 Sam. 23
:19
23:19
Then some
aZiphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, David is indeed hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the
bhill of Hachilah, which is south of the desert!
1 Sam. 23
:20
23:20
Now then, O king, come down, according to all your soul’s desire to come down; and we will deliver him into the hand of the king.
1 Sam. 23
:21
23:21
And Saul said, Blessed are you of Jehovah, for you have had compassion on me.
1 Sam. 23
:22
23:22
Go now, and make sure once more; and find out and look into his place, where he sets foot, who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning.
1 Sam. 23
:23
23:23
And look about and learn of all his hiding places where he lurks, 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.
1 Sam. 23
:24
23:24
And they rose up and went to Ziph before Saul. And David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of the desert.
1 Sam. 23
:25
23:25
And Saul and his men went to seek
him. And when some told David
this, he went down to the rock and remained in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard
of it, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
1 Sam. 23
:26
23:26
And Saul went on one side of the mountain, while David and his men
went on the other side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men in order to capture them.
1 Sam. 23
:27
23:27
Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hurry and come, for the Philistines have raided the land.
1 Sam. 23
:28
23:28
So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and he went to meet the Philistines; therefore they call that place the Rock of Escape.
j.
David's remaining in the strongholds of En-gedi
1 Sam. 23:29—24:2
1 Sam. 23
:29
23:29
And David went up from there and remained in the strongholds of En-gedi.
