1
Then they told[H5046]David[H1732], saying[H559], Behold, the Philistines[H6430]fight[H3898] against Keilah[H7084], and they rob[H8154] the threshingfloors[H1637].
2
Therefore David[H1732]enquired[H7592] of the LORD[H3068], saying[H559], Shall I go[H3212] and smite[H5221] these Philistines?[H6430] And the LORD[H3068]said[H559] unto David[H1732], Go[H3212], and smite[H5221] the Philistines[H6430], and save[H3467]Keilah[H7084].
3
And David's men[H582]said[H559] unto him, Behold, we be afraid[H3373] here in Judah[H3063]: how much more then if we come[H3212] to Keilah[H7084] against the armies[H4634] of the Philistines?[H6430]
4
Then David[H1732]enquired[H7592] of the LORD[H3068] yet again[H3254]. And the LORD[H3068]answered[H6030] him and said[H559], Arise[H6965], go down[H3381] to Keilah[H7084]; for I will deliver[H5414] the Philistines[H6430] into thine hand[H3027].
5
So David[H1732] and his men[H582]went[H3212] to Keilah[H7084], and fought[H3898] with the Philistines[H6430], and brought away[H5090] their cattle[H4735], and smote[H5221] them with a great[H1419]slaughter[H4347]. So David[H1732]saved[H3467] the inhabitants[H3427] of Keilah[H7084].
6
And it came to pass, when Abiathar[H54] the son[H1121] of Ahimelech[H288]fled[H1272] to David[H1732] to Keilah[H7084], that he came down[H3381] with an ephod[H646] in his hand[H3027].
7
And it was told[H5046]Saul[H7586] that David[H1732] was come[H935] to Keilah[H7084]. And Saul[H7586]said[H559], God[H430] hath delivered[H5234] him into mine hand[H3027]; for he is shut in[H5462], by entering[H935] into a town[H5892] that hath gates[H1817] and bars[H1280].
8
And Saul[H7586]called[H8085] all the people[H5971]together[H8085] to war[H4421], to go down[H3381] to Keilah[H7084], to besiege[H6696]David[H1732] and his men[H582].
9
And David[H1732]knew[H3045] that Saul[H7586] secretly practised[H2790]mischief[H7451] against him; and he said[H559] to Abiathar[H54] the priest[H3548], Bring hither[H5066] the ephod[H646].
10
Then said[H559]David[H1732], O LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478], thy servant[H5650] hath certainly[H8085]heard[H8085] that Saul[H7586]seeketh[H1245] to come[H935] to Keilah[H7084], to destroy[H7843] the city[H5892] for my sake.
11
Will the men[H1167] of Keilah[H7084] deliver me up[H5462] into his hand?[H3027] will Saul[H7586] come down[H3381], as thy servant[H5650] hath heard?[H8085] O LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478], I beseech thee, tell[H5046] thy servant[H5650]. And the LORD[H3068]said[H559], He will come down[H3381].
12
Then said[H559]David[H1732], Will the men[H1167] of Keilah[H7084]deliver[H5462] me and my men[H582] into the hand[H3027] of Saul?[H7586] And the LORD[H3068]said[H559], They will deliver[H5462] thee up[H5462].
13
Then David[H1732] and his men[H582], which were about six[H8337]hundred[H3967], arose[H6965] and departed[H3318] out of Keilah[H7084], and went[H1980]whithersoever[H834] they could go[H1980]. And it was told[H5046]Saul[H7586] that David[H1732] was escaped[H4422] from Keilah[H7084]; and he forbare[H2308] to go[H1980]forth[H3318].
14
And David[H1732]abode[H3427] in the wilderness[H4057] in strong holds[H4679], and remained[H3427] in a mountain[H2022] in the wilderness[H4057] of Ziph[H2128]. And Saul[H7586]sought[H1245] him every day[H3117], but God[H430]delivered[H5414] him not into his hand[H3027].
15
And David[H1732]saw[H7200] that Saul[H7586] was come out[H3318] to seek[H1245] his life[H5315]: and David[H1732] was in the wilderness[H4057] of Ziph[H2128] in a wood[H2793].
16
And Jonathan[H3083] Saul's son[H1121]arose[H6965], and went[H3212] to David[H1732] into the wood[H2793], and strengthened[H2388] his hand[H3027] in God[H430].
17
And he said[H559] unto him, Fear[H3372] not: for the hand[H3027] of Saul[H7586] my father[H1] shall not find[H4672] thee; and thou shalt be king[H4427] over Israel[H3478], and I shall be next[H4932] unto thee; and that also Saul[H7586] my father[H1]knoweth[H3045].
18
And they two[H8147]made[H3772] a covenant[H1285]before[H6440] the LORD[H3068]: and David[H1732]abode[H3427] in the wood[H2793], and Jonathan[H3083]went[H1980] to his house[H1004].
19
Then came up[H5927] the Ziphites[H2130] to Saul[H7586] to Gibeah[H1390], saying[H559], Doth not David[H1732]hide[H5641] himself with us in strong holds[H4679] in the wood[H2793], in the hill[H1389] of Hachilah[H2444], which is on the south[H3225] of Jeshimon?[H3452]
20
Now therefore, O king[H4428], come down[H3381] according to all the desire[H185] of thy soul[H5315] to come down[H3381]; and our part shall be to deliver[H5462] him into the king[H4428]'s hand[H3027].
21
And Saul[H7586]said[H559], Blessed[H1288] be ye of the LORD[H3068]; for ye have compassion[H2550] on me.
22Go[H3212], I pray you, prepare[H3559] yet, and know[H3045] and see[H7200] his place[H4725] where his haunt[H7272] is, and who hath seen[H7200] him there: for it is told[H559] me that he dealeth very[H6191]subtilly[H6191].
23See[H7200] therefore, and take knowledge[H3045] of all the lurking places[H4224] where he hideth[H2244] himself, and come ye again[H7725] to me with the certainty[H3559], and I will go[H1980] with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be[H3426] in the land[H776], that I will search[H2664] him out throughout all the thousands[H505] of Judah[H3063].
24
And they arose[H6965], and went[H3212] to Ziph[H2128]before[H6440]Saul[H7586]: but David[H1732] and his men[H582] were in the wilderness[H4057] of Maon[H4584], in the plain[H6160] on the south[H3225] of Jeshimon[H3452].
25Saul[H7586] also and his men[H582]went[H3212] to seek[H1245] him. And they told[H5046]David[H1732]: wherefore he came down[H3381] into a rock[H5553], and abode[H3427] in the wilderness[H4057] of Maon[H4584]. And when Saul[H7586]heard[H8085] that, he pursued[H7291]after[H310]David[H1732] in the wilderness[H4057] of Maon[H4584].
26
And Saul[H7586]went[H3212] on this side[H6654] of the mountain[H2022], and David[H1732] and his men[H582] on that side[H6654] of the mountain[H2022]: and David[H1732] made haste[H2648] to get away[H3212] for fear[H6440] of Saul[H7586]; for Saul[H7586] and his men[H582]compassed[H5849]David[H1732] and his men[H582] round about[H5849] to take[H8610] them.
27
But there came[H935] a messenger[H4397] unto Saul[H7586], saying[H559], Haste[H4116] thee, and come[H3212]; for the Philistines[H6430] have invaded[H6584] the land[H776].
28
Wherefore Saul[H7586]returned[H7725] from pursuing[H7291]after[H310]David[H1732], and went[H3212]against[H7125] the Philistines[H6430]: therefore they called[H7121] that place[H4725]Selahammahlekoth[H5555].
29
And David[H1732] went up[H5927] from thence, and dwelt[H3427] in strong holds[H4679] at Engedi[H5872].