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1 Samuel 23
New English Translation

David Delivers the City of Keilah

23 They told David, “The Philistines are fighting in Keilah and are looting the threshing floors.” 2 So 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.”

3 But 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?” 4 So 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.”

5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He took away their cattle and thoroughly defeated them.[a] David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.

David Eludes Saul Again

6 Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod.[b] 7 When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered[c] him into my hand, for he has boxed himself into a corner by entering a city with two barred gates.”[d] 8 So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.[e]

9 When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him,[f] he told Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning[g] to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. 11 Will 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.” 12 David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand?” The Lord said, “They will deliver you over.”

13 So David and his men, who numbered about 600, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another.[h] When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition. 14 David stayed in the strongholds that were in the desert and in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul looked for him all the time,[i] but God did not deliver David[j] into his hands. 15 David realized[k] that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the wilderness of Ziph.

16 Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him[l] through God. 17 He 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.” 18 When the two of them had made a covenant before the Lord, David stayed at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.

19 Then 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? 20 Now at your own discretion,[m] O king, come down. Delivering him into the king’s hand will be our responsibility.”

21 Saul replied, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. 22 Go and make further arrangements. Determine precisely[n] where he is[o] and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. 23 Locate precisely all the places where he hides and return to me with dependable information.[p] Then I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will find him[q] among all the thousands of Judah.”

24 So they left and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the rift valley[r] to the south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and his men went to look for him.[s] But David was informed and went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard about it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul 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 to capture them. 27 But a messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”

28 So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines. Therefore that place is called Sela Hammahlekoth.[t] 29 (24:1)[u] Then David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 23:5 tn Heb “and struck them down with a great blow.”
  2. 1 Samuel 23:6 tn Heb “an ephod went down in his hand.”
  3. 1 Samuel 23:7 tn The MT reading (“God has alienated him into my hand”) in v. 7 is a difficult and uncommon idiom. The use of this verb in Jer 19:4 is somewhat parallel, but not entirely so. Many scholars have therefore suspected a textual problem here, emending the word נִכַּר (nikkar, “alienated”) to סִכַּר (sikkar, “he has shut up [i.e., delivered]”). This is the idea reflected in the translations of the Syriac Peshitta and Vulgate, although it is not entirely clear whether they are reading something different from the MT or are simply paraphrasing what for them too may have been a difficult text. The LXX has “God has sold him into my hands,” apparently reading מָכַר (makar, “sold”) for MT’s נִכַּר. The present translation is a rather free interpretation.
  4. 1 Samuel 23:7 tn Heb “with two gates and a bar.” Since in English “bar” could be understood as a saloon, it has been translated as an attributive: “two barred gates.”
  5. 1 Samuel 23:8 tn Heb “So Saul mustered all his army for battle to go down to Keilah to besiege against David and his men.”
  6. 1 Samuel 23:9 tn Heb “Saul was planning the evil against him.”
  7. 1 Samuel 23:10 tn Heb “seeking.”
  8. 1 Samuel 23:13 tn Heb “they went where they went.”
  9. 1 Samuel 23:14 tn Heb “all the days.”
  10. 1 Samuel 23:14 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  11. 1 Samuel 23:15 tn Heb “saw.”
  12. 1 Samuel 23:16 tn Heb “strengthened his hand.”
  13. 1 Samuel 23:20 tn Heb “to all the desire of your soul to come down.”
  14. 1 Samuel 23:22 tn Heb “know and see.” The expression is a hendiadys. See also v. 23.
  15. 1 Samuel 23:22 tn Heb “his place where his foot is.”
  16. 1 Samuel 23:23 tn Heb “established.”
  17. 1 Samuel 23:23 tn Heb “I will search him out.”
  18. 1 Samuel 23:24 sn This section of the rift valley is along the western part of the Dead Sea.
  19. 1 Samuel 23:25 tn Heb “to search.”
  20. 1 Samuel 23:28 sn The name הַמַּחְלְקוֹת סֶלַע (selaʿ hammakhleqot) probably means “Rock of Divisions” in Hebrew, in the sense that Saul and David parted company there (cf. NAB “Gorge of Divisions”; TEV “Separation Hill”). This etymology assumes that the word derives from the Hebrew root II חָלַק (khalaq, “to divide”; HALOT 322 s.v. II חלק). However, there is another root I חלק, which means “to be smooth or slippery” (HALOT 322 s.v. I חלק). If the word is taken from this root, the expression would mean “Slippery Rock.”
  21. 1 Samuel 23:29 sn Beginning with 23:29, the verse numbers through 24:22 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 23:29 ET = 24:1 HT, 24:1 ET = 24:2 HT, 24:2 ET = 24:3 HT, etc., through 24:22 ET = 24:23 HT. With 25:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
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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. 1 Samuel 23:15 Or he was afraid because
  2. 1 Samuel 23:28 Sela Hammahlekoth means rock of parting.
  3. 1 Samuel 23:29 In Hebrew texts this verse (23:29) is numbered 24:1.
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