1Sam 23
1
And it was told David, saying, behold, the Philistines war in Keila, and they rob,
they trample on the threshing-floors.
2
And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And
the Lord said, Go, and you shall smite these Philistines, and shall save Keila.
3
And the men of David said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judea; and how shall
it be if we go to Keila? Shall we go after the spoils of the Philistines?
4
And David enquired yet again of the Lord; and the Lord answered him, and said to him,
Arise and go down to Keila, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hands.
5
So David and his men with him went to Keila, and fought with the Philistines; and
they fled from before him, and he carried off their cattle, and smote them with a
great slaughter, and David rescued the inhabitants of Keila.
6
eAnd it came to pass when Abiathar the son of Achimelech fled to David, that he went
down with David to Keila, having an ephod in his hand.
7
And it was told Saul that David was come to Keila: and Saul said, God has sold him
into my hands, for he is shut up, having entered into a city that has gates and bars.
8
And Saul charged all the people to go down to war to Keila, to besiege David and his
men.
9
And David knew that Saul Gr. is not silent concerning spoke openly of mischief against him: and David said to Abiathar the
priest, Bring
the ephod of the Lord.
10
And David said, Lord God of Israel, your servant has indeed heard, that Saul seeks
to come against Keila to destroy the city on my account.
11
Will the place be i. e., besieged shut up? And now will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel,
tell your servant. Verse 12 is here supplied by Alex. And the Lord said, It will be shut up.
12
Alex. And the Lord said, It will be shut up.
13
And David arose, and the men with him, in number about four hundred, and they went
forth from Keila, and went wherever they could go: and it was told Saul that David
had escaped from Keila, and he forbore to come.
14
And he dwelt in Maserem in the wilderness, in the narrow passes; and dwelt in the
wilderness in mount Ziph, in the dry country. And Saul sought him continually, but
the Lord delivered him not into his hands.
15
And David perceived that Saul went forth to seek David; and David was in the dry mountain
in the The Hebrew vrx has here been read as if vdx New Ziph.
16
And Jonathan son of Saul rose, and went to David to Caene, and strengthened his hands
in the Lord.
17
And he said to him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and
you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to you; and Saul my father knows
it.
18
So they both made a covenant before the Lord; and David dwelt in Caene, and Jonathan
went to his home.
19
And the Ziphites came up out of the dry country to Saul to the hill, saying, Behold,
is not David hidden with us in Messara, in the narrows in Caene in the hill of Echela,
which is on the right of Jessaemon?
20
And now according to all the king’s desire to come down, let him come down to us;
they have shut him up into the hands of the king.
21
And Saul said to them, Blessed be you of the Lord, for you have been grieved on my
account.
22
Go, I pray you, and make preparations yet, and notice his place where his foot shall
be, quickly, in that place which you spoke of, lest by any means he should deal craftily.
23
Take notice, then, and learn, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass that
if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Juda.
24
And the Ziphites arose, and went before Saul: and David and his men were in the wilderness
of Maon, westward, to the right of Jessaemon.
25
And Saul and his men went to seek him: and they brought word to David, and he went
down to the rock that was in the wilderness of Maon: and Saul heard, and followed
after David to the wilderness of Maon.
26
And Saul and his men go on one side of the mountain, and David and his men are on
the other side of the mountain: and David was hiding himself to escape from Saul:
and Saul and his men encamped against David and his men, in order to take them.
27
And there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste you, and come here, for the Philistines
have invaded the land.
28
So Saul returned from following after David, and went to meet the Philistines: therefore
that place was called The divided Rock.