| Chapter
23 |
| 1 | Then
they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they
rob the threshingfloors. |
| 2 |
Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these
Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and
save Keilah. |
| 3 | And
David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more
then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? |
| 4 | Then David inquired of the LORD yet
again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will
deliver the Philistines into thine hand. |
| 5 | So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the
Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great
slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. |
| 6 | And it came to pass, when Abiathar the
son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in
his hand. |
| 7 | And it was
told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him
into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and
bars. |
| 8 | And Saul called
all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his
men. |
| 9 | And David knew
that Saul secretly practiced mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the
priest, Bring hither the ephod. |
|
10 | Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath
certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my
sake. |
| 11 | Will the men of
Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath
heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD
said, He will come down. |
| 12 |
Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand
of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up. |
| 13 | Then David and his men, which were
about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever
they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he
forbare to go forth. |
| 14 |
And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain
in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him
not into his hand. |
| 15 |
And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the
wilderness of Ziph in a wood. |
| 16
| And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and
strengthened his hand in God. |
| 17
| And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall
not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto
thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. |
| 18 | And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David
abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. |
|
19 | Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah,
saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the
hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? |
| 20 | Now therefore, O king, come down
according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to
deliver him into the king's hand. |
|
21 | And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion
on me. |
| 22 | Go, I pray
you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath
seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. |
| 23 | See therefore, and take knowledge
of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with
the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in
the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah. |
| 24 | And 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. |
|
25 | Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David;
wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And
when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. |
| 26 | And Saul went on this
side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and
David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed
David and his men round about to take them. |
| 27 | But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste
thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land. |
| 28 | Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing
after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place
Selahammahlekoth. |
| 29 | And
David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi. |
