| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.” | 1They told David, "The Philistines are fighting in Keilah and are looting the threshing floors." |
| 2Therefore 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 save Keilah.” | 2So David asked the LORD, "Should I go and strike down these Philistines?" The LORD said to David, "Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah." |
| 3But David’s men said to him, “Look, 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, "We are afraid while we are still here in Judah! What will it be like if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?" |
| 4Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” | 4So David asked the LORD once again. But again the LORD replied, "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, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. | 5So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He took away their cattle and thoroughly defeated them. David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah. |
| 6Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand. | 6Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod. |
| 7And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” | 7When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, "God has delivered him into my hand, for he has boxed himself into a corner by entering a city with two barred gates." |
| 8Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. | 8So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men. |
| 9When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” | 9When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him, he told Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod!" |
| 10Then David said, “O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. | 10Then David said, "O LORD God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. |
| 11Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will come down.” | 11Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, please inform your servant!" Then the LORD said, "He will come down." |
| 12Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will deliver you.” | 12David asked, "Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul's hand?" The LORD said, "They will deliver you over." |
| 13So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition. | 13So David and his men, who numbered about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another. When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition. |
| 14And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. | 14David stayed in the strongholds that were in the desert and in the hill country of the desert of Ziph. Saul looked for him all the time, but God did not deliver David into his hand. |
| 15So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest. | 15David realized that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the desert of Ziph. |
| 16Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God. | 16Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him through 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. Even my father Saul knows that.” | 17He said to him, "Don't be afraid! For the hand of my father Saul cannot find you. You will rule over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul realizes this." |
| 18So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house. | 18When the two of them had made a covenant before the LORD, David stayed on at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house. |
| 19Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? | 19Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Isn't David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? |
| 20Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.” | 20Now at your own discretion, O king, come down. Delivering him into the king's hand will be our responsibility." |
| 21And Saul said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, for you have compassion on me. | 21Saul replied, "May you be blessed by the LORD, for you have had compassion on me. |
| 22Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty. | 22Go and make further arrangements. Determine precisely where he is and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. |
| 23See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the clans of Judah.” | 23Locate precisely all the places where he hides and return to me with dependable information. Then I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will find him among all the thousands of Judah." |
| 24So 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. | 24So they left and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon. |
| 25When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon. | 25Saul and his men went to look for him. But David was informed and went down to the rock and stayed in the desert of Maon. When Saul heard about it, he pursued David in the desert of Maon. |
| 26Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them. | 26Saul went on one side of the mountain, while David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, but Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men so they could capture them. |
| 27But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!” | 27But a messenger came to Saul saying, "Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!" |
| 28Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape. | 28So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines. Therefore that place is called Sela Hammahlekoth. |
| 29Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at En Gedi. | 29Then David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi. |
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