English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.”

1One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors.

2Therefore David inquired of the LORD, “Shall 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, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then 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!”

4Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give 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.”

5And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants 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.

6When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.

6Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.

7Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has 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!”

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

8So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

9David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

9But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the LORD what he should do.

10Then David said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to 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 men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will come down.”

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.”

12Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will surrender you.”

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, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.

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 remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him 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.

15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

15One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him.

16And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.

16Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.

17And 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. Saul my father also knows this.”

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.”

18And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David remained at Horesh, and 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 went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is 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 come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.”

20Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!”

21And Saul said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, for you have had compassion on me.

21“The LORD bless you,” Saul said. “At last someone is concerned about me!

22Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very 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.

23See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you. And if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands 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!”

24And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the 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. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

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 went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As 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,

27a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.”

27an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.

28So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.

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 Engedi.

29 David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.