1 و َقالَ بَعضُهُمْ لِداوُدَ: «ها هُمُ الفِلِسْطِيُّونَ يُهاجِمُونَ مَدِينَةَ قَعِيلَةَ، وَيَنهَبُونَ الحُبُوبَ منْ بَيادِرِها.»

David was told, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.”

2 ف َسَألَ داوُدُ اللهَ: «هَلْ أذْهَبُ لِمُقاتَلَةِ هَؤُلاءِ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ؟» فَأجابَ اللهُ داوُدَ: «نَعَمْ، اذْهَبْ وَهاجِمِ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ، وَخَلِّصْ قَعِيلَةَ.»

Therefore David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” Yahweh said to David, “Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

3 ل َكنَّ رِجالَ داوُدَ قالُوا لَهُ: «انظُرْ مَدَى خَوفِنا وَنَحْنُ هُنا فِي يَهُوذا. فَهَلْ يُمكِنُكَ أنْ تَتَصَوَّرَ مَدَى خَوفِنا إذا ذَهَبْنا إلَى قَعِيلَةَ حَيثُ يَحتَشدُ الجَيشُ الفِلِسْطِيُّ مُستَعِدّاً لِلقِتالِ.»

David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

4 ف َسَألَ داوُدُ اللهَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى. فَقالَ اللهُ لِداوُدَ: «انزِلْ إلَى قَعِيلَةَ. وَسَأنصُرُكَ عَلَى الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ.»

Then David inquired of Yahweh yet again. Yahweh answered him, and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

5 ف َذَهَبَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ إلَى مَدينَةِ قَعِيلَةَ وَحارَبُوا الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ. فَهَزَمُوهُمْ هَزِيمَةً شَدِيدَةً وَاستَرَدُّوا أبقارَهُمْ. وَهَكَذا أنقَذَ داوُدُ أهلَ قَعيلَةَ.

David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 و َكانَ أبِياثارُ بْنُ أخِيمَالِكَ قَدْ حَمَلَ مَعَهُ ثَوباً كَهَنُوتِيّاً عندَما هَرَبَ إلَى داوُدَ فِي قَعِيلَة.

When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.

7 ف َقالَ بَعضُهُمْ لِشاوُلَ: «داوُدَ فِي قَعِيلَةَ فِي هَذا الوَقت.» فَقالَ شاوُلُ: «لَقَدْ أوقَعَ اللهُ داوُدَ بَينَ يَدَيَّ. فَقَدْ وَضَعَ داوُدُ نَفسَهُ فِي فَخٍّ بِدُخُولهِ مَدينَةً مُسَوَّرَةً لَها بَوّاباتٌ وَقُضبانٌ.»

Saul was told that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars.”

8 ف َجَمَعَ شاوُلُ جَيشَهُ لِلقِتالِ. وَاستَعَدُّوا للنُّزُولِ إلَى قَعِيلَةَ لِمُحاصَرَةِ داوُدَ وَرِجالِهِ.

Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

9 ف َعَلمَ داوُدُ أنَّ شاوُلَ يَنوِي لَهُ شَرّاً. فَقالَ داوُدُ لِلكاهِنِ أبياثارَ: «أحْضِرِ الثَّوبَ الكَهَنُوتِيَّ.»

David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

10 ف َصَلَّى داوُدُ: «يا اللهُ ، يا إلَهَ إسْرائِيلَ، سَمِعْتُ أنَّ شاوُلَ يُخَطِّطُ لِلقُدُومِ إلَى قَعِيلَةَ وَتَدمِيرِها بِسَبَبِي.

Then David said, “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

11 ف َهَلْ سَيَأْتِي شاوُلُ إلَى قَعِيلَةَ؟ وَهَلْ سَيُسَلِّمُنِي أهلُها إلَى شاوُلَ؟ أخبِرْنِي يا اللهُ ، يا إلَهُ إسْرائِيلَ، أنا عَبدَكَ.» فَأجابَ اللهُ: «سَيَأْتِي شاوُلُ.»

Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant.” Yahweh said, “He will come down.”

12 ف َسَألَ داوُدُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى: «هَلْ سَيُسَلِّمُنِي أهلُ قَعيلَةَ أنا وَرجالِي إلَى شاوُلَ؟» فَقالَ اللهُ: «سَيَفعَلُونَ ذَلِكَ إنْ بَقِيتَ هُنا.»

Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” Yahweh said, “They will deliver you up.”

13 ف َغادَرَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ قَعِيلَةَ، وَكانُوا نَحوَ ستِّ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ. وَظَلُّوا يَنتَقِلُونَ مِنْ مَكانٍ إلَى آخَرَ. فَعَلمَ شاوُلُ أنَّ داوُدَ هَرَبَ مِنْ قَعيلَةَ، فَلَمْ يَذهَبْ إلَيها. شاوُلُ يُطارِدُ داوُد

Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. Saul was told that David was escaped from Keilah; and he gave up going there.

14 ذ َهَبَ داوُدُ إلَى بَرِّيَّةِ زِيفٍ، وَمَكَثَ فِي الجِبالِ وَالحُصُونِ هُناكَ. وَواصَلَ شاوُلُ بَحثَهُ عَنْ داوُدَ، لَكِنَّ اللهَ لَمْ يُمَكِّنْهُ مِنَ الإمْساكِ بِهِ.

David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand.

15 و َكانَ داوُدُ فِي الحُرشِ فِي بَرِّيَّةِ زِيفٍ، إذْ كانَ داوُدُ خائِفاً لأنَّ شاوُلَ خَرَجَ ليَبحَثَ عَنهُ ليَقتُلَهُ.

David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.

16 ل َكنَّ يُوناثانَ بْنَ شاوُلَ ذَهَبَ لِيَرَى داوُدَ فِي الحُرْشِ، وَشَدَّ مِنْ عَزمِهِ بِاللهِ.

Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose, and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God.

17 و َقالَ لَهُ: «لا تَخَفْ، فَلَنْ يَتَمَكَّنَ أبِي مِنْ إيذائِكَ. سَتُصبِحُ أنتَ مَلِكَ إسْرائِيلَ، وَسَأكُونُ أنا الرَّجُلَ الثّانِيَ بَعدَكَ. أبِي نَفسُهُ يَعلَمُ هَذا.»

He said to him, “Don’t be afraid; for the hand of Saul my father won’t find you; and you will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also.”

18 و َتَعاهَدَ يُوناثانُ وَداوُدُ فِي حَضرَةِ اللهِ. وَبَعدَ ذَلِكَ عادَ يُوناثانُ إلَى بَيتِهِ. وَبَقِيَ داوُدُ فِي الحُرشِ. أهلُ زِيفٍ يُخبِرُونَ شاوُلَ عَنْ داوُد

They both made a covenant before Yahweh. Then David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his house.

19 و َذَهَبَ بَعضُ رِجالِ زِيفٍ إلَى شاوُلَ في جِبعَةَ. وَقالُوا لَهُ: «إنَّ داوُدَ مُختَبِئٌ فِي مِنطَقَتِنا. وَهُوَ فِي حُصُونِ الحُرِشِ، عَلَى تَلِّ حَخِيلَةَ إلَى الجَنُوبِ منْ يَشمُونَ.

Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?

20 ف انزِلْ إلَى هُناكَ مَتَى أحْبَبْتَ. وَنَحْنُ نَتَعَهَّدُ بِتَسلِيمِ داوُدَ لَكَ.»

Now therefore, O king, come down. According to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.”

21 ف َرَدَّ شاوُلُ: «لِيُبارِكْكُمُ اللهُ لِأنَّ قَلبَكُمْ مَعِي.

Saul said, “You are blessed by Yahweh; for you have had compassion on me.

22 ا ذهَبُوا وَتَحَرَّوْا أكثَرَ عَنْ داوُدَ. ارصُدُوا تَحَرُّكاتِهِ وَاعرِفُوا مَنْ يَزُورُهُ هُناكَ. إنَّهُ ذَكِيٌّ وَيَعمَدُ إلَى الحِيلَة.

Please go make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I have been told that he deals very crafty.

23 ف اذهَبُوا وَحَدِّدُوا كُلَّ المَخابِئِ الَّتِي يَلجَأُ إلَيها، ثُمَّ تَعالَوا وَأطلِعُونِي عَلَى كُلِّ شَيءٍ. حِينَئِذٍ، سَأذهَبُ مَعَكُمْ. إنْ كانَ هُناكَ، سَأجِدُهُ حَتَّى لَوِ اضْطُرَرْتُ لِلبَحثِ في كُلِّ عائلَةٍ مِنْ عائِلاتِ يَهُوذا.»

See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself, and come again to me with certainty, and I will go with you. It shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”

24 ف َذَهَبَ الرِّجالُ مِنْ عِندِ شاوُلَ وَرَجِعُوا إلَى زِيفٍ. وَكانَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ فِي بَرِّيَّةِ مَعُونٍ إلَى الجَنُوبِ مِنْ جَشمُونَ.

They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.

25 ف َذَهَبَ شاوُلُ وَرِجالُهُ بَحثاً عَنْهُ. فَعَلِمَ داوُدُ، فَنَزَلَ إلَى الصَّخرَةِ فِي بَرِّيَّةِ مَعُونٍ. فَلَمّا سَمِعَ شاوُلُ أنَّ داوُدَ ذَهَبَ إلَى هُناكَ، انْطَلَقَ بَحثاً عَنْهُ.

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 و َكانَ شاوُلُ عَلَى أحَدِ جانِبَيِّ الجَبَلِ. وَكانَ داوُدُ وَرِجالُهُ عَلَى الجانِبِ الآخَرِ. فَأخَذَ داوُدُ يَتَحَرَّكُ بِأقصَى سُرعَةٍ مُمكِنَةٍ لِلإفلاتِ مِنْ شاوُلَ. لَكِنَّ شاوُلَ وَرجالَهُ راحُوا يُحاصِرُونَ الجَبَلَ لِيَقطَعُوا الطَّرِيقَ عَلَى داوُدَ وَرِجالِهِ.

Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David hurried to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men to take them.

27 و َفِي هَذِهِ اللَّحظَةِ وَصَلَ رَسُولٌ وَأخبَرَ شاوُلَ: «تَعالَ بِسُرعَةٍ. فَالفِلِسْطِيُّونَ يُهاجِمُونَنا.»

But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land!”

28 ف َتَوَقَّفَ شاوُلُ عَنْ مُطارَدَةِ داوُدَ وَذَهَبَ لِمُقاتَلَةِ الفِلِسْطِيِّينَ. وَهَذا هُوَ ما دَعا النّاسَ إلَى تَسمِيَةِ ذَلِكَ المَكانِ «الصَّخرَةَ الزَّلِقَةَ.»

So Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth.

29 و َغادَرَ داوُدُ بَرِّيَّةَ مَعُونٍ وَذَهَبَ إلَى الحُصُونِ القَرِيبَةِ مِنْ عَينِ جَدْيٍ.

David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.