New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

1It was reported to David: "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and raiding the threshing floors."

2Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

2So David inquired of the LORD: "Should I launch an attack against these Philistines?" The LORD answered David, "Launch an attack against the Philistines and rescue Keilah."

3But David’s men said to him, “Look, 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 to him, "Look, we're afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!"

4Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

4Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: "Go at once to Keilah, for I will hand the Philistines over to you."

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

5Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, drove their livestock away, and inflicted heavy losses on them. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.

6Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.

6Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, and he brought an ephod with him.

7And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.”

7When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, "God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates."

8Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

8Then Saul summoned all the troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.

9When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

9When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to the priest Abiathar, "Bring the ephod."

10Then David said, “O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.

10Then David said, "LORD God of Israel, your servant has reliable information that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.

11Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will come down.”

11Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? LORD God of Israel, please tell your servant." The LORD answered, "He will come down."

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

12Then David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" "They will," the LORD responded.

13So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

13So David and his men, numbering about six hundred, left Keilah at once and moved from place to place. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition.

14And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

14David then stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him.

15So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.

15David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.

16Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.

16Then Saul's son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him 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. Even my father Saul knows that.”

17saying, "Don't be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, and I'll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true."

18So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.

18Then the two of them made a covenant in the LORD's presence. Afterward, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

19Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

19Some Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "David is hiding among us in the strongholds in Horesh on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon.

20Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”

20Now, whenever the king wants to come down, let him come down. Our part will be to hand him over to the king."

21And Saul said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, for you have compassion on me.

21"May you be blessed by the LORD," replied Saul, "for you have shown concern for me.

22Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty.

22Go and check again. Investigate where he goes and who has seen him there; they tell me he is extremely cunning.

23See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the clans of Judah.”

23Investigate all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with accurate information, and I'll go with you. If it turns out he really is in the region, I'll search for him among all the clans of Judah."

24So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

24So they went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness near Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,

25When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.

25and Saul and his men went to look for him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David there.

26Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them.

26Saul went along one side of the mountain and David and his men went along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away from Saul, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.

27But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”

27Then a messenger came to Saul saying, "Come quickly, because the Philistines have raided the land!"

28Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape.

28So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation.

29Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at En Gedi.

29From there David went up and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.