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The Blue Letter Bible

1 Samuel 23 :: New International Version (NIV)

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David Saves Keilah

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:1

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:1 - When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:2

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:2 - he inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The LORD answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:3

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:3 - But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:4

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:4 - Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:5

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:5 - So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:6

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:6 - (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

Saul Pursues David

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:7

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:7 - Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:8

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:8 - And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:9

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:9 - When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:10

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:10 - David said, “LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:11

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:11 - Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:12

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:12 - Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:13

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:13 - So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:14

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:14 - David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:15

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:15 - While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that[fn] Saul had come out to take his life.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:16

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:16 - And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:17

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:17 - “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:18

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:18 - The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:19

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:19 - The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon?

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:20

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:20 - Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:21

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:21 - Saul replied, “The LORD bless you for your concern for me.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:22

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:22 - Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:23

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:23 - Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:24

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:24 - So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:25

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:25 - Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:26

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:26 - Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them,

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:27

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:27 - a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:28

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:28 - Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.[fn]

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Unchecked Copy Box 1Sa 23:29

Unchecked Copy Box1Sa 23:29 - And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.[fn]
See the NIV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NIV Footnotes
Or he was afraid because
Sela Hammahlekoth means rock of parting.
In Hebrew texts this verse (23:29) is numbered 24:1.
NIV

HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the NIV Preface.

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1 Samuel Chapter 23 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras