English Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.”

1Then they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors."

2Therefore David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

2So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah."

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 armies of the Philistines?”

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 ranks of the Philistines?"

4Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”

4Then David inquired of the LORD once more. And the LORD answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand."

5And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

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 delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.

6When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.

6Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

7Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.”

7When it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, "God has delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars."

8And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

8So Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

9David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

9Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."

10Then David said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.

10Then David said, "O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account.

11Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will come down.”

11"Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down."

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

12Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you."

13Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.

13Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit.

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

14David 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 deliver him into his hand.

15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

15Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

16And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.

16And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.

17And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.”

17Thus 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 next to you; and Saul my father knows that also."

18And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

18So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

19Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?

19Then Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is David not hiding with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

20Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.”

20"Now then, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to do so; and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand."

21And Saul said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, for you have had compassion on me.

21Saul said, "May you be blessed of the LORD, for you have had compassion on me.

22Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning.

22"Go now, make more sure, and investigate and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning.

23See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, 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.”

23"So look, and learn 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."

24And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.

24Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.

25And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

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

26Saul 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. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them,

26Saul 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, for Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them.

27a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.”

27But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land."

28So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.

28So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.

29And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.

29David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.

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