Open English Translation 1SA Chapter 23

23 Some time later, David was told, “Listen, the Philistines are fighting against the city of Ke’ilah and they are stealing grain from the threshing floors,” 2 so he asked Yahweh, “Should I go and attack those Philistines?”

“Go and attack the Philistines and save Ke’ilah,” Yahweh responded.

3 But David’s men warned him, “Listen, we’re afraid here in Yehudah, and we’d be even more afraid if we went to Ke’ilah against the Philistines’ battle lines.” 4 So David double-checked with Yahweh who answered, “Get ready and go to Ke’ilah, because I’m about to give you victory over the Philistines.” 5 Then David and his men went to Ke’ilah and battled against the Philistines—thoroughly defeating them and taking their livestock, thus saving the inhabitants of Ke’ilah.

6 Now when Ahimelek’s son Evyatar had fled to David at Ke’ilah, he’d brought a sacred apron with him.

7 Sha’ul was told that David had gone to Ke’ilah, so he said, “Ah, God has deserted him and given him to me because he’s shut himself in by going into a walled city with doors that can be barred shut.” 8 So Sha’ul initiated preparations to go to Ke’ilah to entrap David and his men.

9 But David discovered that Sha’ul was planning to destroy him, so he summoned Evyatar the priest, “Bring the sacred apron here.” 10 Then David prayed, “Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has heard that Sha’ul is intending to come to Ke’ilah—to destroy the city because of me. 11 Will Sha’ul come here, just as your servant has heard? Will the masters of Ke’ilah turn me over to him? Yahweh, God of Israel, please tell your servant.”

“Yes, he will go there,” Yahweh answered.

12 “And will the masters of Ke’ilah hand me and my men over to Sha’ul?” David asked again.

And Yahweh said, “They will deliver up.”

13 So David and his men (about 600 of them), left Ke’ilah and moved around from place to place. When Sha’ul was told that David had slipped away from Ke’ilah, he didn’t continue with his plans.

14 David stayed in various strongholds in the wilderness, and sometimes he stayed in the hill country in the Zif wilderness. Sha’ul kept searching for them, but God didn’t allow him to capture them. 15 Once David was staying in the Zif wilderness and he saw that Sha’ul had arrived there to try to kill him. 16 Then Sha’ul’s son Yonatan went to David at Horesh and encouraged him to keep trusting God, 17 saying, “Don’t be afraid, because my father Sha’ul won’t capture you. As for you, you’ll reign over Israel, and I’ll be your second in command. Even my father knows that.” 18 Again, the two of them made an agreement before Yahweh. Then David stayed at Horesh and Yonatan returned home.[ref]

19 Some men from Zif went to Sha’ul at Gibeah, saying, “We’re pretty sure that David’s hiding himself among us in the strongholds in Horesh, on the Hakilah hill south of Yeshimon.[ref] 20 So now, your majesty, come over whenever you want, and we’ll make sure he’s handed over to you.”

21 “May you all be blessed by Yahweh,” Sha’ul responded, “because you’ve had compassion on me. 22 Please go back and double-check and find out who’s seen him there. Learn more and look at the place yourselves, because I’ve been told that he’s very crafty. 23 Find out all the other places where he hides himself. Return to me with definite information, then I’ll go with you all, and if he’s there in that region, then I’ll search for him among the population of Yehudah.”

24 So they left and returned to Zif ahead of Sha’ul. At that time, David and his men were in the Maon wilderness south of Yeshimon 25 when Sha’ul and his men came to search for them. When David was told, he went further south to a rocky hill therein that wilderness, but Sha’ul also heard that and followed them. 26 At one point, Sha’ul was on one side of a hill, and David and his men were on the other side. David was hurrying to get away from Sha’ul, but Sha’ul and his men were trying to surround David and his men to capture them. 27 Just then, a messenger arrived for Sha’ul, saying, “Come quickly because the Philistines have raided our region.” 28 So Sha’ul had to give up chasing David and went to repel the Philistines. 29 David also left that area and stayed in the strongholds around Eyn-Gedi.