1 T hen they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

¶ Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.

2 T herefore 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.”

Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go and smite the Philistines and save Keilah.

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

But David’s men said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah, how much more than if we go to Keilah against the army of the Philistines?

4 T hen David inquired of the Lord once again. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

5 A nd David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

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

6 N ow it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.

And it came to pass when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to David to Keilah that the ephod came in his hand.

7 A nd Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.”

¶ And it was told Saul how David had come to Keilah. And 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 T hen Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

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

9 W hen David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

But David understood that Saul devised evil against him, and he said to Abiathar, the priest, Bring here the ephod.

10 T hen David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.

Then David said, O LORD God of Israel, thy slave has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

11 W ill the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.”

Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as thy slave has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy slave. And the LORD said, He will come down.

12 T hen David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will deliver you. ”

Then David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.

13 S o David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition. David in Wilderness Strongholds

So David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went from one place to another. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, and he forbare to go forth.

14 A nd David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

¶ And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

15 S o David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.

And David, seeing that Saul had come out to seek his soul, stayed in the woods in the wilderness of Ziph.

16 T hen Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.

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

17 A nd he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.”

And he said unto him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul, my father, shall not find thee, and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and even my father knows this.

18 S o the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.

And the two made a covenant before the LORD, and David abode in the woods, and Jonathan returned to his house.

19 T hen the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

¶ Then those of Ziph came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the woods in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right hand side of the wilderness?

20 N ow therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”

Now, therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down, and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.

21 A nd Saul said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me.

And Saul said, Blessed are ye of the LORD, for ye have compassion on me.

22 P lease go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty.

Go, I pray you, prepare yet and know and see his place where he places his foot and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he deals with great prudence.

23 S ee therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the clans of Judah.”

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

24 S o they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul, but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon in the plain on the right hand side of the wilderness.

25 W hen Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.

Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David, and he came down from there into a rock and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26 T hen Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away from the presence of Saul, for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

27 B ut a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”

But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Make haste and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land.

28 T herefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape.

Saul returned, therefore, from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. For this reason they called that place Selahammahlekoth.

29 T hen David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at En Gedi.

And David went up from there and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.