1 Samuel 23 (NET)

1 Samuel 23:1¹They told David, “The Philistines are fighting in Keilah and are looting the threshing floors.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:2²So David asked the Lord, “Should I go and strike down these Philistines?” The Lord said to David, “Go, strike down the Philistines and deliver Keilah.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:3³But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid while we are still here in Judah. What will it be like if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:4⁴So David asked the Lord once again. But again the Lord replied, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:5⁵So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He took away their cattle and thoroughly defeated them. David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:6⁶Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:7⁷When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has boxed himself into a corner by entering a city with two barred gates.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:8⁸So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:9⁹When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him, he told Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:10¹⁰Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:11¹¹Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, please inform your servant.” Then the Lord said, “He will come down.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:12¹²David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand?” The Lord said, “They will deliver you over.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:13¹³So David and his men, who numbered about 600, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another. When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:14¹⁴David stayed in the strongholds that were in the desert and in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul looked for him all the time, but God did not deliver David into his hands.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:15¹⁵David realized that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the wilderness of Ziph.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:16¹⁶Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him through God.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:17¹⁷He said to him, “Don’t be afraid! For the hand of my father Saul cannot find you. You will rule over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul realizes this.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:18¹⁸When the two of them had made a covenant before the Lord, David stayed at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:19¹⁹Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon?Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:20²⁰Now at your own discretion, O king, come down. Delivering him into the king’s hand will be our responsibility.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:21²¹Saul replied, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:22²²Go and make further arrangements. Determine precisely where he is and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:23²³Locate precisely all the places where he hides and return to me with dependable information. Then I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will find him among all the thousands of Judah.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:24²⁴So they left and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the rift valley to the south of Jeshimon.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:25²⁵Saul and his men went to look for him. But David was informed and went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard about it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:26²⁶Saul went on one side of the mountain, while David and his men went on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, but Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to capture them.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:27²⁷But a messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:28²⁸So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines. Therefore that place is called Sela Hammahlekoth.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions

1 Samuel 23:29²⁹(24:1) Then David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’sMany Bible Versions