1 Samuel Chapter 23
David Saves the Town of Keilah
1 People told David, “The Philistines are attacking Keilah and robbing the threshing floors.”
2 David asked Yahveh, “Should I attack these Philistines?”
“Yes, save Keilah.”
3 But David’s men said, “We’re afraid here in Judah. How much more at Keilah against the Philistines!”
4 David asked Yahveh again.
“Go down to Keilah. I’ll deliver the Philistines to you.” 5 David and his men went down and fought them, brought away their livestock, and killed a great number of them. So he delivered the people in Keilah.
1 Sam 23:1-5
6 When Abiathar fled to David at Keilah, he brought an ephod with him. 7 Saul heard that David had gone there and said, “God has delivered him to me. He has shut himself in by entering a town with gates and bars.” 8 Saul called the people to war, to go down to Keilah and lay siege to David and his men. 9 David found out about his plot and told Abiathar to bring him the ephod.
10 David said,
“Yahveh God of Israel, I’ve heard that Saul intends to come to destroy the town because of me. 11 Please tell me if he’ll come down.”
“He will.”
12 “Will the men in Keilah surrender me and my men to him.”
“Yes.”
1 Sam 23:6-12
13 David and his 600 men left and went wherever they could. When Saul found out he’d escaped from Keilah, he gave up the chase. 14 David stayed in the strongholds and in the hill country in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul looked for him every day, but God didn’t deliver David to him.
Saul Pursues David
15 David learned that Saul had come out to try to kill him while he was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16 Jonathan went to David and encouraged him in God: 17 “Don’t worry; my father won’t find you. He knows you’ll be king, and I’ll be next to you.” 18 They made a pact in Yahveh’s presence. David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
1 Sam 23:13-18
19 People came up from Ziph to Saul at Gibeah and said,
“Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the Hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon? 20 Come down and do whatever you want to. We’ll surrender him to you.”
21 Saul said,
“Yahveh bless you for having mercy on me. 22 Go make sure where his haunt is and who has seen him there. I’m told he’s awfully cunning. 23 Learn where his hiding places are, come back with exact information, and I’ll go with you. If he’s in the land, I’ll search him out among the thousands in Judah.”
24 They went to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men had moved into the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. 25 When Saul and his men went to look for him, people had told David, and he’d gone down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side. He was hurrying to get away from Saul, because Saul and his men were surrounding him and his men to capture them. 27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quick; the Philistines are raiding the land.” 28 Saul quit chasing David and went to meet the Philistines. So they called the place The Rock of Escape [Sela Hammachleqot]. 29 David went and stayed in the strongholds at En-gedi.
1 Sam 23:19-29