Dual Panel1They told <05046> David <01732>, “The Philistines <06430> are fighting <03898> in Keilah <07084> and are looting <08154> the threshing floors <01637>.”
2So David <01732> asked <07592> the Lord <03068>, “Should I go <01980> and strike down <05221> these <0428> Philistines <06430>?” The Lord <03068> said <0559> to <0413> David <01732>, “Go <01980>, strike down <05221> the Philistines <06430> and deliver <03467> Keilah <07084>.”
3But David’s <01732> men <0376> said <0559> to <0413> him, “We are afraid <03372> while we <0587> are still here <06311> in Judah <03063>! What will it be like <0637> if <03588> we go <01980> to Keilah <07084> against <0413> the armies <04634> of the Philistines <06430>?”
4So David <01732> asked <07592> the Lord <03068> once again <05750> <03254>. But again the Lord <03068> replied <06030>, “Arise <06965>, go down <03381> to Keilah <07084>, for <03588> I <0589> will give <05414> the Philistines <06430> into your hand <03027>.”
5So David <01732> and his men <0376> went <01980> to Keilah <07084> and fought <03898> the Philistines <06430>. He took away <05090> their cattle <04735> and thoroughly <01419> <04347> defeated <05221> them. David <01732> delivered <03467> the inhabitants <03427> of Keilah <07084>.
6Now when Abiathar <054> son <01121> of Ahimelech <0288> had fled <01272> to <0413> David <01732> at Keilah <07084>, he had brought <03381> with <03027> him an ephod <0646>.
7When Saul <07586> was told <05046> that <03588> David <01732> had come <0935> to Keilah <07084>, Saul <07586> said <0559>, “God <0430> has delivered <05234> him into my hand <03027>, for <03588> he has boxed <05462> himself into a corner by entering <0935> a city <05892> with two barred <01280> gates <01817>.”
8So Saul <07586> mustered <08085> all <03605> his army <04421> <05971> to go down <03381> to Keilah <07084> and besiege <06696> David <01732> and his men <0376>.
9When David <01732> realized <03045> that <03588> Saul <07586> was planning <02790> to harm <07451> him, he told <0559> Abiathar <054> the priest <03548>, “Bring <05066> the ephod <0646>!”
10Then David <01732> said <0559>, “O Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478>, your servant <05650> has clearly heard <08085> <08085> that <03588> Saul <07586> is planning <01245> to come <0935> to <0413> Keilah <07084> to destroy <07843> the city <05892> because of <05668> me.
11Will the leaders <01167> of Keilah <07084> deliver <05462> me into his hand <03027>? Will Saul <07586> come down <03381> as <0834> your servant <05650> has heard <08085>? O Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478>, please <04994> inform <05046> your servant <05650>!” Then the Lord <03068> said <0559>, “He will come down <03381>.”
12David <01732> asked <0559>, “Will the leaders <01167> of Keilah <07084> deliver <05462> me and my men <0376> into Saul’s <07586> hand <03027>?” The Lord <03068> said <0559>, “They will deliver <05462> you over.”
13So David <01732> and his men <0376>, who numbered about six <08337> hundred <03967>, set out <06965> and left <03318> Keilah <07084>; they moved around <01980> <01980> from one place to another <01980> <01980>. When told <05046> that <03588> David <01732> had escaped <04422> from Keilah <07084>, Saul <07586> called <02308> a halt to his expedition <03318>.
14David <01732> stayed <03427> in the strongholds <04679> that were in the desert <04057> and in the hill country <02022> of the desert <04057> of Ziph <02128>. Saul <07586> looked for <01245> him all <03605> the time <03117>, but God <0430> did not <03808> deliver <05414> David into his hand <03027>.
15David <01732> realized <07200> that <03588> Saul <07586> had come out <03318> to seek <01245> his life <05315>; at that time David <01732> was in Horesh <02793> in the desert <04057> of Ziph <02128>.
16Then Jonathan <03083> son <01121> of Saul <07586> left <06965> and went <01980> to <0413> David <01732> at Horesh <02793>. He encouraged <02388> him through <03027> God <0430>.
17He said <0559> to <0413> him, “Don’t <0408> be afraid <03372>! For <03588> the hand <03027> of my father <01> Saul <07586> cannot <03808> find <04672> you <0859>. You will rule <04427> over <05921> Israel <03478>, and I <0595> will be <01961> your second <04932> in command. Even <01571> my father <01> Saul <07586> realizes <03045> this <03651>.”
18When the two <08147> of them had made <03772> a covenant <01285> before <06440> the Lord <03068>, David <01732> stayed <03427> on at Horesh <02793>, but Jonathan <03083> went <01980> to his house <01004>.
19Then the Ziphites <02130> went up <05927> to <0413> Saul <07586> at Gibeah <01390> and said <0559>, “Isn’t <03808> David <01732> hiding <05641> among <05973> us in the strongholds <04679> at Horesh <02793> on the hill <01389> of Hakilah <02444>, south <03225> of Jeshimon <03452>?
20Now <06258> at your own discretion <0185>, O king <04428>, come down <03381> <03381>. Delivering <05462> him into the king’s <04428> hand <03027> will be our responsibility.”
21Saul <07586> replied <0559>, “May you <0859> be blessed <01288> by the Lord <03068>, for <03588> you have had compassion <02550> on <05921> me.
22Go <01980> and make <03559> further <05750> arrangements. Determine precisely <07200> <03045> where he is <01961> and who <04310> has seen <07200> him there <08033>, for <03588> I am told <0559> that he is extremely cunning <06191>.
23Locate precisely <03045> all <03605> the places <04224> where <08033> <0834> he hides <02244> and return <07725> to <0413> me with <0413> dependable information <03559>. Then I will go <01980> with <0854> you. If <0518> he is <03426> in the land <0776>, I will find <02664> him among all <03605> the thousands <0505> of Judah <03063>.”
24So they left <06965> and went <01980> to Ziph <02128> ahead <06440> of Saul <07586>. Now David <01732> and his men <0376> were in the desert <04057> of Maon <04584>, in the Arabah <06160> to <0413> the south <03225> of Jeshimon <03452>.
25Saul <07586> and his men <0376> went <01980> to look <01245> for him. But David <01732> was informed <05046> and went down <03381> to the rock <05553> and stayed <03427> in the desert <04057> of Maon <04584>. When Saul <07586> heard <08085> about it, he pursued <0310> <07291> David <01732> in the desert <04057> of Maon <04584>.
26Saul <07586> went <01980> on one <02088> side <06654> of the mountain <02022>, while David <01732> and his men <0376> went on the other <02088> side <06654> of the mountain <02022>. David <01732> was hurrying <02648> to get away <01980> from <06440> Saul <07586>, but Saul <07586> and his men <0376> were surrounding <05849> David <01732> and his men <0376> so they could capture <08610> them.
27But a messenger <04397> came <0935> to <0413> Saul <07586> saying <0559>, “Come <01980> quickly <04116>, for <03588> the Philistines <06430> have raided <06584> the land <0776>!”
28So Saul <07586> stopped <07725> pursuing <07291> David <01732> and went <01980> to confront <07122> the Philistines <06430>. Therefore <03651> that place <04725> is called <07121> Sela Hammahlekoth <05555>.
29Then David <01732> went up <05927> from there <08033> and stayed <03427> in the strongholds <04679> of En Gedi <05872>.