Chapter 23

And they declare to David, saying, `Lo, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are spoiling the threshing-floors.`

And David asketh at Yehovah, saying, `Do I go? -- and have I smitten among these Philistines?` And Yehovah saith unto David, `Go, and thou hast smitten among the Philistines, and saved Keilah.`

And David`s men say unto him, `Lo, we here in Judah are afraid; and how much more when we go to Keilah, unto the ranks of the Philistines?`

And David addeth again to ask at Yehovah, and Yehovah answereth him, and saith, `Rise, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into thy hand.`

And David goeth, and his men, to Keilah, and fighteth with the Philistines, and leadeth away their cattle, and smiteth among them -- a great smiting, and David saveth the inhabitants of Keilah.

And it cometh to pass, in the fleeing of Abiathar son of Ahimelech unto David, to Keilah, an ephod came down in his hand.

And it is declared to Saul that David hath come in to Keilah, and Saul saith, `God hath made him known for my hand, for he hath been shut in, to enter into a city of doors and bar.`

And Saul summoneth the whole of the people to battle, to go down to Keilah, to lay siege unto David and unto his men.

And David knoweth that against him Saul is devising the evil, and saith unto Abiathar the priest, `Bring nigh the ephod.`

And David saith, `Yehovah, God of Israel, Thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul is seeking to come in unto Keilah, to destroy the city on mine account.

Do the possessors of Keilah shut me up into his hand? doth Saul come down as Thy servant hath heard? Yehovah, God of Israel, declare, I pray Thee, to Thy servant.` And Yehovah saith, `He doth come down.`

And David saith, `Do the possessors of Keilah shut me up, and my men, into the hand of Saul?` And Yehovah saith, `They shut thee up.`

And David riseth -- and his men -- about six hundred men, and they go out from Keilah, and go up and down where they go up and down; and to Saul it hath been declared that David hath escaped from Keilah, and he ceaseth to go out.

And David abideth in the wilderness, in fortresses, and abideth in the hill-country, in the wilderness of Ziph; and Saul seeketh him all the days, and God hath not given him into his hand.

And David seeth that Saul hath come out to seek his life, and David is in the wilderness of Ziph, in a forest.

And Jonathan son of Saul riseth, and goeth unto David to the forest, and strengtheneth his hand in God,

and saith unto him, `Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father doth not find thee, and thou dost reign over Israel, and I am to thee for second, and also so knoweth Saul my father.`

And they make a covenant both of them before Yehovah; and David abideth in the forest, and Jonathan hath gone to his house.

And the Ziphites go up unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, `Is not David hiding himself with us in fortresses, in the forest, in the height of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desolate place?

And, now, by all the desire of thy soul, O king, to come down, come down, and ours is to shut him up into the hand of the king.`

And Saul saith, `Blessed are ye of Yehovah, for ye have pity on me;

go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his foot is; who hath seen him there? for one hath said unto me, He is very subtile.

And see and know of all the hiding-places where he hideth himself, and ye have turned back unto me prepared, and I have gone with you, and it hath been, if he is in the land, that I have searched him out through all the thousands of Judah.`

And they rise and go to Ziph before Saul, and David and his men are in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain, at the south of the desolate place.

And Saul and his men go to seek, and they declare to David, and he goeth down the rock, and abideth in the wilderness of Maon; and Saul heareth, and pursueth after David to the wilderness of Maon.

And Saul goeth on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain, and David is hastened to go from the face of Saul, and Saul and his men are compassing David and his men, to catch them.

And a messenger hath come in unto Saul, saying, `Haste, and come, for the Philistines have pushed against the land.`

And Saul turneth back from pursuing after David, and goeth to meet the Philistines, therefore they have called that place `The Rock of Divisions.`

And David goeth up thence, and abideth in fortresses at En-gedi.