1 Samuel 23 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

David Saves Keilah

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

2 So David ^H1732 inquired ^H7592 of the LORD ^H3068, saying ^H559, “Shall I go ^H1980 and [fn]attack ^H5221 these ^H428 Philistines ^H6430?” And the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Go ^H1980 and [fn]attack ^H5221 the Philistines ^H6430 and save ^H3467 Keilah ^H7084.” 3 But David’s ^H1732 men ^H376 said ^H559 to him, “Behold ^H2009, we are ^H3372 fearful ^H3372 here ^H6311 in Judah ^H3063. How ^H637 much ^H637 H3588 more ^H637 H3588 then if ^H3588 we go ^H1980 to Keilah ^H7084 against ^H413 the ranks ^H4634 of the Philistines ^H6430?” 4 So David ^H1732 inquired ^H7592 of the LORD ^H3068 once ^H3254 H5750 more ^H5750. And the LORD ^H3068 answered ^H6030 him and said ^H559, “Arise ^H6965, go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to Keilah ^H7084, for I am going to hand ^H5414 H3027 the Philistines ^H6430 over ^H5414 to you.” 5 Then David ^H1732 and his men ^H376 went ^H1980 to Keilah ^H7084 and fought ^H3898 the Philistines ^H6430; and he drove ^H5090 away ^H5090 their livestock ^H4735 and struck ^H5221 them with a great ^H1419 slaughter ^H4347. So David ^H1732 saved ^H3467 the inhabitants ^H3427 of Keilah ^H7084.

6 Now it came ^H1961 about ^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. 7 When it was reported ^H5046 to Saul ^H7586 that David ^H1732 had come ^H935 to Keilah ^H7084, Saul ^H7586 said ^H559, “God ^H430 has handed ^H5234 H3027 him over ^H5234 to me, for he shut ^H5462 himself in ^H5462 by entering ^H935 a city ^H5892 with double gates ^H1817 and bars ^H1280.” 8 So Saul ^H7586 summoned ^H8085 all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 for war ^H4421, to go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to Keilah ^H7084 to besiege ^H6696 David ^H1732 and his men ^H376. 9 But David ^H1732 knew ^H3045 that Saul ^H7586 was plotting ^H2790 evil ^H7451 against ^H5921 him; so he said ^H559 to Abiathar ^H54 the priest ^H3548, “Bring ^H5066 the ephod ^H646 here ^H5066.” 10 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559, “LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, Your servant ^H5650 has heard ^H8085 for ^H8085 certain ^H8085 that Saul ^H7586 is seeking ^H1245 to come ^H935 to Keilah ^H7084 to destroy ^H7843 the city ^H5892 on my account ^H5668. 11 Will the citizens ^H1167 of Keilah ^H7084 hand ^H5462 me over ^H5462 to him? Will Saul ^H7586 come ^H3381 down ^H3381 just ^H834 as ^H834 Your servant ^H5650 has heard ^H8085? LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, please ^H4994, tell ^H5046 Your servant ^H5650.” And the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559, “He will come ^H3381 down ^H3381.” 12 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559, “Will the citizens ^H1167 of Keilah ^H7084 hand ^H5462 me and my men ^H376 over ^H5462 to Saul ^H7586?” And the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559, “They will hand ^H5462 you over ^H5462.” 13 Then David ^H1732 and his men ^H376, about six ^H8337 hundred ^H3967, rose ^H6965 up ^H6965 and departed ^H3318 from Keilah ^H7084, and they went ^H1980 wherever ^H834 they could go ^H1980. When it was reported ^H5046 to Saul ^H7586 that David ^H1732 had escaped ^H4422 from Keilah ^H7084, he gave ^H2308 up ^H2308 [fn]the pursuit ^H3318. 14 David ^H1732 stayed ^H3427 in the wilderness ^H4057 in the strongholds ^H4679, and remained ^H3427 in the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 in the wilderness ^H4057 of Ziph ^H2128. And Saul ^H7586 searched ^H1245 for him every ^H3605 day ^H3117, but God ^H430 did not hand ^H3027 H5414 him over ^H5414 to him.

Saul Pursues David

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

16 And Jonathan ^H3083, Saul’s ^H7586 son ^H1121, set ^H6965 out ^H6965 and went ^H1980 to David ^H1732 at Horesh ^H2793, and [fn]encouraged ^H2388 H3027 him in God ^H430. 17 He said ^H559 to him, “Do not be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372, because ^H3588 the hand ^H3027 of Saul ^H7586 my father ^H1 will not find ^H4672 you, and you will be ^H4427 king ^H4427 over ^H5921 Israel ^H3478, and I will be second ^H4932 in ^H4932 command ^H4932 to you; and Saul ^H7586 my father ^H1 knows ^H3045 that as ^H1571 well ^H1571.” 18 So the two ^H8147 of them made ^H3772 a covenant ^H1285 before ^H6440 the LORD ^H3068; and David ^H1732 stayed ^H3427 at Horesh ^H2793, while Jonathan ^H3083 went ^H1980 to his house ^H1004.

19 Then Ziphites ^H2130 came ^H5927 up ^H5927 to Saul ^H7586 at Gibeah ^H1390, saying ^H559, “Is David ^H1732 not keeping ^H5641 himself hidden ^H5641 with us in the strongholds ^H4679 at Horesh ^H2793, on the hill ^H1389 of Hachilah ^H2444, which ^H834 is south ^H3225 of [fn]Jeshimon ^H3452? 20 Now ^H6258 then, O king ^H4428, come ^H3381 down ^H3381, [fn]since you fully ^H3605 desire ^H185 to [fn]do ^H3381 so ^H3381; and our part shall be to hand ^H5462 him over ^H5462 to the king ^H4428.” 21 Saul ^H7586 said ^H559, “May you be blessed ^H1288 of the LORD ^H3068, since ^H3588 you have had ^H2550 compassion ^H2550 on me. 22 Go ^H1980 now ^H4994, be ^H3559 more ^H5750 persistent ^H3559, and investigate ^H3045 and see ^H7200 his place ^H4725 where ^H834 [fn]he is hiding ^H7272, and who ^H4310 has seen ^H7200 him there ^H8033; for I am told ^H559 that he is very ^H6191 cunning ^H6191. 23 So look ^H7200, and learn ^H3045 about ^H4480 all ^H3605 the hiding ^H4224 places ^H4224 where ^H834 H8033 he keeps ^H2244 himself hidden ^H2244, and return ^H7725 to me with certainty ^H3559, and I will go ^H1980 with you; and if ^H518 he is in the land ^H776, I will search ^H2664 him out ^H2664 among all ^H3605 the thousands ^H505 of Judah ^H3063.”

24 So they set ^H6965 out ^H6965 and went ^H1980 to Ziph ^H2128 ahead ^H6440 of Saul ^H7586. Now David ^H1732 and his men ^H376 were in the wilderness ^H4057 of Maon ^H4584, in the Arabah ^H6160 to the south ^H3225 of [fn]Jeshimon ^H3452. 25 When Saul ^H7586 and his men ^H376 went ^H1980 to seek ^H1245 him, they informed ^H5046 David ^H1732, and he came ^H3381 down ^H3381 to the rock ^H5553 and stayed ^H3427 in the wilderness ^H4057 of Maon ^H4584. And when Saul ^H7586 heard ^H8085 about it, he pursued ^H7291 H310 David ^H1732 in the wilderness ^H4057 of Maon ^H4584. 26 Saul ^H7586 went ^H1980 on one ^H2088 side ^H6654 of the mountain ^H2022, and David ^H1732 and his men ^H376 on the other ^H2088 side ^H6654 of the mountain ^H2022; and David ^H1732 was hurrying ^H2648 to get ^H1980 away ^H1980 from Saul ^H7586, while Saul ^H7586 and his men ^H376 were surrounding ^H5849 David ^H1732 and his men ^H376 to apprehend ^H8610 them. 27 But a messenger ^H4397 came ^H935 to Saul ^H7586, saying ^H559, “Hurry ^H4116 and come ^H1980, for the Philistines ^H6430 have launched ^H6584 an ^H6584 attack ^H6584 against ^H5921 the land ^H776!” 28 So Saul ^H7586 returned ^H7725 from pursuing ^H7291 H310 David ^H1732 and went ^H1980 to confront ^H7122 the Philistines ^H6430; therefore ^H5921 H3651 they called ^H7121 that place ^H4725 [fn]the Rock ^H5553 of Division ^H4256. 29 [fn]And David ^H1732 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 from there ^H8033 and stayed ^H3427 in the strongholds ^H4679 of Engedi ^H5872.