Font Size
1 Samuel 23
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
1 Samuel 23
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 23
Keilah Liberated. 1 David was informed that the Philistines were attacking Keilah and plundering the threshing floors.(A) 2 So he consulted the Lord, asking, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The Lord answered, Go, attack them, and free Keilah.(B) 3 But David’s men said to him: “Even in Judah we have reason to fear. How much more so if we go to Keilah against the forces of the Philistines!” 4 Again David consulted the Lord, who answered: Go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your power.(C) 5 So David went with his men to Keilah and fought against the Philistines. He drove off their cattle and inflicted a severe defeat on them, and freed the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, who had fled to David, went down with David to Keilah, taking the ephod with him.(D)
Flight from Keilah. 7 When Saul was told that David had entered Keilah, he thought: “God has put him in my hand, for he has boxed himself in by entering a city with gates and bars.” 8 Saul then called all the army to war, in order to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men. 9 When David found out that Saul was planning to harm him, he said to the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod here.”(E) 10 “Lord God of Israel,” David prayed, “your servant has heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11 Will they hand me over? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, tell your servant.” The Lord answered: He will come down. 12 David then asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” The Lord answered: They will deliver you. 13 So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and wandered from place to place. When Saul was informed that David had fled from Keilah, he did not go forth.
David and Jonathan in Horesh. 14 David now lived in the strongholds in the wilderness, or in the barren hill country near Ziph. Though Saul sought him continually, the Lord did not deliver David into his hand. 15 While David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh he was afraid that Saul had come out to seek his life. 16 Then Saul’s son, Jonathan, came down to David at Horesh and encouraged him in the Lord.(F) 17 He said to him: “Have no fear, my father Saul shall not lay a hand to you. You shall be king of Israel[a] and I shall be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”(G) 18 The two of them made a covenant before the Lord in Horesh, where David remained, while Jonathan returned to his home.(H)
Treachery of the Ziphites. 19 Some of the Ziphites went up to Saul in Gibeah and said, “David is hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon.(I) 20 Therefore, whenever the king wishes to come down, let him do so. It will be our task to deliver him into the king’s hand.” 21 Saul replied: “The Lord bless you for your compassion toward me.(J) 22 Go now and make sure once more! Take note of the place where he sets foot for I am told that he is very cunning. 23 Look around and learn in which of all the various hiding places he is holding out. Then come back to me with reliable information, and I will go with you. If he is in the region, I will track him down out of all the families of Judah.” 24 So they went off to Ziph ahead of Saul. At this time David and his men were in the wilderness below Maon, in the Arabah south of the wasteland.(K)
Escape from Saul. 25 When Saul and his men came looking for him, David got word of it and went down to the gorge in the wilderness below Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David into the wilderness below Maon. 26 As Saul moved along one side of the gorge, David and his men took to the other. David was anxious to escape Saul, while Saul and his men were trying to outflank David and his men in order to capture them. 27 Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, because the Philistines have invaded the land.” 28 Saul interrupted his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. This is how that place came to be called the Rock of Divisions.
Footnotes
- 23:17 King of Israel: to emphasize the inevitability of the Lord’s plan, the narrator frames Jonathan’s statement with two accounts of David’s mercy toward Saul.
1 Samuel 23
New International Version
1 Samuel 23
New International Version
David Saves Keilah
23 When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah(A) and are looting the threshing floors,”(B) 2 he inquired(C) of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”
The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
3 But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”
4 Once again David inquired(D) of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines(E) into your hand.(F)” 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar(G) son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod(H) down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
Saul Pursues David
7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands,(I) for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”(J) 8 And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar(K) the priest, “Bring the ephod.(L)” 10 David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”
And the Lord said, “He will.”
12 Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender(M) me and my men to Saul?”
And the Lord said, “They will.”
13 So David and his men,(N) about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
14 David stayed in the wilderness(O) strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph.(P) Day after day Saul searched(Q) for him, but God did not(R) give David into his hands.
15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that[a] Saul had come out to take his life.(S) 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength(T) in God. 17 “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king(U) over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18 The two of them made a covenant(V) before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.
19 The Ziphites(W) went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us(X) in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah,(Y) south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving(Z) him into your hands.”
21 Saul replied, “The Lord bless(AA) you for your concern(AB) for me. 22 Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. 23 Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track(AC) him down among all the clans of Judah.”
24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon,(AD) in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.(AE) 25 Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.
26 Saul(AF) was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” 28 Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.[b] 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds(AG) of En Gedi.[c](AH)
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 23:15 Or he was afraid because
- 1 Samuel 23:28 Sela Hammahlekoth means rock of parting.
- 1 Samuel 23:29 In Hebrew texts this verse (23:29) is numbered 24:1.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.