| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Now it was reported to David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors.” | 1One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors. |
| 2So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” | 2David asked the LORD, “Should I go and attack them?” “Yes, go and save Keilah,” the LORD told him. |
| 3But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” | 3But David’s men said, “We’re afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don’t want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!” |
| 4Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” | 4So David asked the LORD again, and again the LORD replied, “Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.” |
| 5Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David saved the people of Keilah. | 5So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah. |
| 6(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.) | 6Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him. |
| 7When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” | 7Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. “Good!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got him now! God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!” |
| 8Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men. | 8So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men. |
| 9When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” | 9But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the LORD what he should do. |
| 10And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account. | 10Then David prayed, “O LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here. |
| 11Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD. | 11Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell me.” And the LORD said, “He will come.” |
| 12So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD. | 12Again David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?” And the LORD replied, “Yes, they will betray you.” David Hides in the Wilderness |
| 13Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth. | 13So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all. |
| 14And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand. | 14David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him. |
| 15While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. | 15One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. |
| 16And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God, | 16Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God. |
| 17saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.” | 17“Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.” |
| 18So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home. | 18So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the LORD. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh. |
| 19Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon? | 19But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him. “We know where David is hiding,” they said. “He is in the strongholds of Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is in the southern part of Jeshimon. |
| 20Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.” | 20Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!” |
| 21“May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me. | 21“The LORD bless you,” Saul said. “At last someone is concerned about me! |
| 22Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. | 22Go and check again to be sure of where he is staying and who has seen him there, for I know that he is very crafty. |
| 23Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.” | 23Discover his hiding places, and come back when you are sure. Then I’ll go with you. And if he is in the area at all, I’ll track him down, even if I have to search every hiding place in Judah!” |
| 24So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon, | 24So the men of Ziph returned home ahead of Saul. Meanwhile, David and his men had moved into the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah Valley south of Jeshimon. |
| 25and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there. | 25When David heard that Saul and his men were searching for him, he went even farther into the wilderness to the great rock, and he remained there in the wilderness of Maon. But Saul kept after him in the wilderness. |
| 26Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. | 26Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men, |
| 27Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!” | 27an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again. |
| 28So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth. | 28So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape. |
| 29And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi. | 29 David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi. |
|
