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

Then they told David, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.

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

So David inquired of the Lord, Shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go, smite the Philistines and save Keilah.

3 D avid’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?”

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

4 T hen 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.”

Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.

5 D avid 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.

So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines with a great slaughter and brought away their cattle. So David delivered the people of Keilah.

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

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

7 S aul 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.”

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

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

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

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

David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.

10 T hen 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.

Then David said, O Lord, the God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul intends to come and destroy the city of Keilah on my account.

11 W ill 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.”

Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, I beseech You, tell Your servant. 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?” Yahweh said, “They will deliver you up.”

Then David asked, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand? The Lord said, They will deliver you up.

13 T hen 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.

Then David and his men, about 600, arose and left Keilah, going wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up going there.

14 D avid 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.

David remained in the wilderness strongholds in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hands.

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

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

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

And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went into the wood to David and strengthened his hand in God.

17 H e 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.”

He said to him, Fear not; the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father knows that too.

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

And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David remained in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

19 T hen 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?

Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?

20 N ow 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.”

Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hands.

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

And Saul said, The Lord bless you, for you have compassion on me.

22 P lease 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.

Go, make yet more sure; and know and see where his haunt is and who has seen him there; for I am told he deals very craftily.

23 S ee 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.”

See and take note of all his hiding places and come back to me with the certain facts, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.

24 T hey 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.

So they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.

25 S aul 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.

Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told; so he went down to the rock in the Wilderness of Maon and stayed. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.

26 S aul 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.

And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding and his men to capture them.

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

But a messenger came to Saul, saying, Make haste and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.

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

So Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. So they called that place the Rock of Escape.

29 D avid went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

David went up from there and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi.