1 Samuel 23 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David Saves Keilah

Then they told^H5046 David^H1732, saying^H559, “Behold^H2009, the Philistines^H6430 are fighting^H3898 against Keilah^H7084 and are pillaging^H8154 the threshing^H1637 floors^H1637.”

1Sa 23:2

1Sa 23:2So David asked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” And Yahweh said to David, “Go and strike the Philistines and save Keilah.”

1Sa 23:3

1Sa 23:3But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the battle lines of the Philistines?”

1Sa 23:4

1Sa 23:4Then David asked of Yahweh once more. And Yahweh answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”

1Sa 23:5

1Sa 23:5So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines; and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

1Sa 23:6

Now it happened^H1961 when Abiathar^H54 the son^H1121 of Ahimelech^H288 fled^H1272 to David^H1732 at Keilah^H7084, that he came^H3381 down^H3381 with an ephod^H646 in his hand^H3027.

1Sa 23:7

1Sa 23:7Then it was told to Saul that David had come to Keilah, so Saul said, “God has [fn]delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars.”

1Sa 23:8

1Sa 23:8Then Saul summoned all the people for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

1Sa 23:9

1Sa 23:9But David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

1Sa 23:10

1Sa 23:10Then David said, “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, Your slave has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to make the city a ruin on my account.

1Sa 23:11

1Sa 23:11“Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your slave has heard? O Yahweh, the God of Israel, I pray, tell Your slave.” And Yahweh said, “He will come down.”

1Sa 23:12

1Sa 23:12Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And Yahweh said, “They will surrender you.”

1Sa 23:13

1Sa 23:13Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. Now it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, so he ceased going out in pursuit.

1Sa 23:14

1Sa 23:14And David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

Saul Pursues David

1Sa 23:15

Then David^H1732 saw^H7200 that Saul^H7586 had come^H3318 out^H3318 to seek^H1245 his life^H5315. Now David^H1732 was in the wilderness^H4057 of Ziph^H2128 at Horesh^H2793.

1Sa 23:16

1Sa 23:16So Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh and strengthened his hand in God.

1Sa 23:17

1Sa 23:17And he said to him, “Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you; and Saul my father knows that also.”

1Sa 23:18

1Sa 23:18So the two of them cut a covenant before Yahweh; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

1Sa 23:19

Then Ziphites^H2130 came^H5927 up^H5927 to Saul^H7586 at Gibeah^H1390, saying^H559, “Is David^H1732 not hiding^H5641 with us in the strongholds^H4679 at Horesh^H2793, on the hill^H1389 of Hachilah^H2444, which^H834 is on the [fn]south^H3225 of [fn]Jeshimon^H3452?

1Sa 23:20

1Sa 23:20“So now, O king, according to all the desire of your soul to come down, come down here; and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.”

1Sa 23:21

1Sa 23:21And Saul said, “May you be blessed of Yahweh, for you have had compassion on me.

1Sa 23:22

1Sa 23:22“Go now, make more sure, and know and see his place—where his very foot is—and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very crafty.

1Sa 23:23

1Sa 23:23“So see and know about all the hiding places where he hides himself and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”

1Sa 23:24

Then they arose^H6965 and went^H1980 to Ziph^H2128 before^H6440 Saul^H7586. Now David^H1732 and his men^H376 were in the wilderness^H4057 of Maon^H4584, in the Arabah^H6160 to the [fn]south^H3225 of [fn]Jeshimon^H3452.

1Sa 23:25

1Sa 23:25So Saul and his men went to seek him, and they told David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard it and pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.

1Sa 23:26

1Sa 23:26And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was hurrying to get away from Saul, but Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them.

1Sa 23:27