1Samuel 23
23Now they told David, "The Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors."H5046H1732H559H6430H3898H7084H8154H16372David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" The LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah."H1732H7592H3068H559H3212H5221H6430H3068H559H1732H3212H5221H6430H3467H70843But 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?"H1732H582H559H3373H3063H3212H7084H4634H64304Then David inquired of the LORD again. The LORD answered him, "Yes, go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into your hand."H1732H7592H3068H3254H3068H6030H559H6965H3381H7084H5414H6430H30275So David and his men went to Keilah, fought with the Philistines, brought away their livestock, and dealt them a heavy defeat. Thus David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.H1732H582H3212H7084H3898H6430H5090H4735H5221H1419H4347H1732H3467H3427H70846When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.H54H1121H288H1272H1732H7084H3381H646H30277Now 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."H5046H7586H1732H935H7084H7586H559H430H5234H3027H5462H935H5892H1817H12808Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.H7586H8085H5971H8085H4421H3381H7084H6696H1732H5829When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to the priest Abiathar, "Bring the ephod here."H1732H3045H7586H2790H7451H559H54H3548H5066H64610David said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.H559H1732H3068H430H3478H5650H8085H8085H7586H1245H935H7084H7843H589211And now, will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant." The LORD said, "He will come down."H1167H7084H5462H3027H7586H3381H5650H8085H3068H430H3478H5046H5650H3068H559H338112Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" The LORD said, "They will surrender you."H559H1732H1167H7084H5462H582H3027H7586H3068H559H546213Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they wandered wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.H1732H582H8337H3967H376H6965H3318H7084H1980H834H1980H5046H7586H1732H4422H7084H2308H331814David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but the LORD did not give him into his hand.H1732H3427H4057H4679H3427H2022H4057H2128H7586H1245H3117H430H5414H302715David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh when he learned that Saul had come out to seek his life.H1732H7200H7586H3318H1245H5315H1732H4057H2128H279316Saul's son Jonathan set out and came to David at Horesh; there he strengthened his hand through the LORD.H3083H7586H1121H6965H3212H1732H2793H2388H3027H43017He said to him, "Do not be afraid; for the hand of my father Saul shall not find you; you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to you; my father Saul also knows that this is so."H559H3372H3027H7586H1H4672H4427H3478H4932H7586H1H304518Then the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.H8147H3772H1285H6440H3068H1732H3427H2793H3083H1980H100419Then some Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "David is hiding among us in the strongholds of Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon.H5927H2130H7586H1390H559H1732H5641H4679H2793H1389H2444H3225H345220Now, O king, whenever you wish to come down, do so; and our part will be to surrender him into the king's hand."H4428H3381H185H5315H3381H5462H4428H302721Saul said, "May you be blessed by the LORD for showing me compassion!H7586H559H1288H3068H255022Go and make sure once more; find out exactly where he is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning.H3212H3559H3045H7200H4725H7272H7200H559H6191H619123Look around and learn all the hiding places where he lurks, 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."H7200H3045H4224H2244H7725H3559H1980H3426H776H2664H505H306324So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.H6965H3212H2128H6440H7586H1732H582H4057H4584H6160H3225H345225Saul and his men went to search for him. When David was told, he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David into the wilderness of Maon.H7586H582H3212H1245H5046H1732H3381H5553H3427H4057H4584H7586H8085H7291H310H1732H4057H458426Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.H7586H3212H6654H2022H1732H582H6654H2022H1732H2648H3212H6440H7586H7586H582H5849H1732H582H5849H861027Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land."H935H4397H7586H559H4116H3212H6430H6584H77628So Saul stopped pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.H7586H7725H7291H310H1732H3212H7125H6430H7121H4725H555529David then went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.H1732H5927H3427H4679H5872
Columbus, OH
