1 Samuel 23
1 2
3 4 5
6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14
15 16 17
18 19
20 21 22 23
24 25 26
27 28 29
30 31
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 And David’s men said unto him, Behold,
we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the
armies 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 thine hand.
5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and
fought with 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, that he came down with
an ephod in his hand.
7 And it was told Saul that
David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand;
for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath 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 And David knew that Saul secretly
practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither
the ephod.
10 Then said David, O LORD God of Israel,
thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh 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 hath heard? O LORD God of
Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.
12 Then said David, 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 Then David and his men, which were
about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they
could go. 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 delivered him not into his hand.
15 And David saw that Saul was 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 unto him, Fear not: 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 that also Saul my father knoweth.
18 And they two made a covenant before the
LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then came up the Ziphites
to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds
in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
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 be ye of
the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.
22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know
and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it
is told me that he dealeth very subtilly.
23 See therefore, and take knowledge of
all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the
certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the
land, that I will search him out throughout 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 south of Jeshimon.
25 Saul also and his men went to seek him.
And they told David: wherefore he came down 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 for fear 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, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing
after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place
Selahammahlekoth.
29 And David went up from thence, and
dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
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