1 Samuel 23

VIN(i) 1 David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors." 2 So 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." 3 David's men said to him, "Look, we're afraid here in Judah. How much then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine army?" 4 So David again inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him and said, "Get up, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand." 5 David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He carried off their livestock and defeated them decisively, and so David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah. 6 Now as Abiathar, son of Abimelech, had fled to David, he went down with him to Keila, having the ephod in his hand. 7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah and he said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he is trapped by going into a town that has 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 When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." 10 David said, "LORD God of Israel. Your servant has definitely heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah to destroy the town because of me. 11 Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell your servant!" And the LORD said, "He will come down." 12 Then David said, Will the men of Keilah give me and my men up to Saul? and the Lord said, They will give you up. 13 David and his men, about six hundred in all, left Keilah. They went wherever they could go. Then Saul was told: "David has escaped from Keilah! So he gave up the campaign." 14 David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds and in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn't deliver him into his hand. 15 David was afraid because Saul had come to kill him at Horesh in the desert of Ziph. 16 And Saul's son Jonathan went to David in Horesh, and made his hands strong in God; 17 He said to him, "Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. My father Saul knows this also." 18 The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David remained at Horesh while Jonathan went home. 19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, your majesty, whenever you want to come down, come down, and our part will be to hand him over to the king." 21 Saul answered: "May the LORD bless you for being so kind to me! 22 Please go and make sure and find out where his haunt is and who has seen him there, for they tell me that he is very crafty. 23 So find out all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information, and I will go with you. If he is in the area I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah. 24 Then they got up 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. 25 Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. 27 And a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hurry and come! For the Philistines have invaded the land. 28 So Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth. 29 David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.