1 Samuel 23

¹ Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight againstWhich was a city in the tribe of Judah, (Jos_15:44).Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.

² Therfore Dauid asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shal I goe and smite these Philistims? And the Lord answered Dauid, Go and smite the Philistims, and saue Keilah.

³ And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here inThat is, in the midst of Judah, much more when we come to the borders against our enemies.Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

⁴ Then Dauid asked counsell of the Lord againe; the Lord answered him, & sayd, Arise, go downe to Keilah: for I wil deliuer the Philistims into thine hand.

⁵ So Dauid and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistims, & brought away their cattel, & smote them with a great slaughter: thus Dauid saued the inhabitants of Keilah.

⁶ And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, [that] he came down [with] anBy God's providence the ephod was preserved and kept with David the true king.ephod in his hand.

⁷ And it was tolde Saul that Dauid was come to Keilah, & Saul sayd, God hath deliuered him into mine hand: for he is shut in, seeing he is come into a citie that hath gates and barres.

⁸ Then Saul called all the people together to warre, for to go downe to Keilah, & to besiege Dauid and his men.

⁹ And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest,To consult with the Lord by Urim and Thummim.Bring hither the ephod.

¹⁰ Then sayde Dauid, O Lord God of Israel, thy seruat hath heard, that Saul is about to come to Keilah to destroy the citie for my sake.

¹¹ Wil the lordes of Keilah deliuer me vp into his hand? and will Saul come downe, as thy seruant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy seruant; the Lord sayde, He will come downe.

¹² Then said Dauid, Will the lords of Keilah deliuer me vp, and the men that are with me, into the hand of Saul? And the Lord sayde, They will deliuer thee vp.

¹³ Then Dauid and his men, which were about sixe hundreth, arose, & departed out of Keilah, and went whither they coulde; it was tolde Saul, that Dauid was fled from Keilah, and he left off his iourney.

¹⁴ And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but GodNo power nor policy can prevail against God's children, but when he appoints the time.delivered him not into his hand.

¹⁵ And Dauid sawe that Saul was come out for to seeke his life: and Dauid was in the wildernes of Ziph in the wood.

¹⁶ And Ionathan Sauls sonne arose and went to Dauid into the wood, and comforted him in God,

¹⁷ And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt beJonathan assured David, that God would accomplish his promise, and that his father warred against his own conscience.king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.

¹⁸ So they twaine made a couenant before ye Lorde: and Dauid did remaine in the wood: but Ionathan went to his house.

¹⁹ Then came vp the Ziphims to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doeth not Dauid hide himselfe by vs in holdes, in the wood in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right side of Ieshimon?

²⁰ Nowe therefore, O King, come downe according to all that thine heart can desire, and our part shall be to deliuer him into the Kinges handes.

²¹ And Saul said,the Lord recompense this friendship.Blessed [be] ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.

²² Goe, I pray you, & prepare ye yet better: know and see his place where he haunteth, and who hath seene him there: for it is sayd to me, He is subtile, and craftie.

²³ See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in theIn your country of Ziph, which is in Judah.land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

²⁴ Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul, but Dauid and his men were in the wildernesse of Maon, in the playne on the right hande of Ieshimon.

²⁵ Saul also and his men went to seek [him]. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness ofWhich was also in the tribe of Judah, (Jos_15:55).Maon. And when Saul heard [that], he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

²⁶ And Saul and his men went on the one side of the mountaine, and Dauid and his men on the other side of the mountaine: and Dauid made haste to get from the presence of Saul: for Saul and his men compassed Dauid and his men round about, to take them.

²⁷ But there came aThus the Lord can pull back the bridle of the tyrants and deliver his out of the lion's mouth.messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

²⁸ Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that placeThat is, stone of division, because there they divided themselves one from another.Selahammahlekoth.

²⁹ And David went up from thence, and dwelt inThat is, in strong places, which were defended by nature.strong holds at Engedi.