The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
New Living Translation NLT
1 David was told, "The P'lishtim are fighting Ke'ilah and plundering the thresh-ing-floors."
1
One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors.
2 David consulted ADONAI, asking, "Should I go and attack these P'lishtim?"ADONAI answered David, "Go, and attack the P'lishtim, and save Ke'ilah."
2
David asked the LORD, “Should I go and attack them?” “Yes, go and save Keilah,” the LORD told him.
3 David's men said to him, "Look, we're already afraid here in Y'hudah. How much more, then, if we go to Ke'ilah to fight the armies of the P'lishtim!"
3
But David’s men said, “We’re afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don’t want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!”
4 David consulted ADONAI again; and ADONAI answered him, "Set out, and go down to Ke'ilah, because I will hand the P'lishtim over to you.
4
So David asked the LORD again, and again the LORD replied, “Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.”
5 David and his men went to Ke'ilah and fought the P'lishtim. They defeated them in a great slaughter and led away their livestock. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Ke'ilah.
5
So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah.
6 When Avyatar the son of Achimelekh fled to David in Ke'ilah, he had brought a ritual vest with him.
6
Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.
7 Now Sha'ul, on being informed that David had gone to Ke'ilah, had said, "God has put him into my hands. He's trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars."
7
Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. “Good!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got him now! God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!”
8 So Sha'ul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Ke'ilah and besiege David and his men.
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So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9 David knew that Sha'ul was plotting something against him, so he told Avyatar the cohen, "Bring the ritual vest here."
9
But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the LORD what he should do.
10 Then David said, "ADONAI God of Isra'el, your servant has certainly heard that Sha'ul intends to come to Ke'ilah and destroy the city just to get me.
10
Then David prayed, “O LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here.
11 Will the men of Ke'ilah turn me over to him? Will Sha'ul come down, as your servant has heard? ADONAI God of Isra'el, please tell your servant!"ADONAI said, "He will come down."
11
Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell me.” And the LORD said, “He will come.”
12 Then David asked, "Will the men of Ke'ilah hand me and my men over to Sha'ul?"ADONAI said, "They will hand you over."
12
Again David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?” And the LORD replied, “Yes, they will betray you.”
13 So David and his men, now around six hundred, got up, left Ke'ilah and went wherever they could. It was told Sha'ul that David had escaped from Ke'ilah, so he called off the expedition.
13
So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all.
14 David stayed in the desert strongholds, remaining in the hills of the Zif Desert. Sha'ul kept trying to find him, but God did not hand him over to him
14
David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him.
15 David saw that Sha'ul had mounted another expedition to seek his life. David was then at Horesh in the Zif Desert.
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One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him.
16 Y'honatan Sha'ul's son set out and went to David at Horesh to encourage him in God.
16
Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.
17 He said to him, "Don't be afraid, because my father's forces will not find you; you will be king over Isra'el, and I will be second to you. Sha'ul my father knows this, too."
17
“Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.”
18 Then the two of them made a covenant in the presence of ADONAI, after which David stayed at Horesh and Y'honatan returned home.
18
So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the LORD . Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.
19 The people of Zif came to Sha'ul in Giv'ah and said, "David is hiding himself with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on Hakhilah Hill, south of Yeshimon
19
But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him. “We know where David is hiding,” they said. “He is in the strongholds of Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is in the southern part of Jeshimon.
20 So now, king, since you've wanted so much to come down, come down! Our part will be to turn him over to you."
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Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!”
21 Sha'ul said, "May ADONAI bless you for showing me compassion
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“The LORD bless you,” Saul said. “At last someone is concerned about me!
22 Please go and make still more certain exactly where he is and who has seen him there, because I've been told that he's very tricky.
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Go and check again to be sure of where he is staying and who has seen him there, for I know that he is very crafty.
23 So look closely, find out where all his hiding-places are, and come back when you're sure. Then I will go with you, and if he is there in that territory, I'll search till I find him among all the thousands of Y'hudah."
23
Discover his hiding places, and come back when you are sure. Then I’ll go with you. And if he is in the area at all, I’ll track him down, even if I have to search every hiding place in Judah!”
24 They set out and went to Zif before Sha'ul. But David and his men had gone on to the Ma'on Desert, in the 'Aravah south of Yeshimon.
24
So the men of Ziph returned home ahead of Saul. Meanwhile, David and his men had moved into the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah Valley south of Jeshimon.
25 Sha'ul and his men went searching for him. David was told, so he came down to the rock and stayed in the Ma'on Desert. When Sha'ul heard that, he pursued David in the Ma'on Desert.
25
When David heard that Saul and his men were searching for him, he went even farther into the wilderness to the great rock, and he remained there in the wilderness of Maon. But Saul kept after him in the wilderness.
26 Sha'ul went along one side of the mountain, while David and his men went along the other. David was hurrying to get away from Sha'ul, while Sha'ul and his men were trying to surround David and his men in order to capture them.
26
Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men,
27 But then a messenger came to Sha'ul, saying, "Hurry, come, because the P'lishtim are invading the country!"
27
an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.
28 So Sha'ul stopped chasing David and went to fight the P'lishtim. Therefore they called that place Sela-Hamachlekot [rock of divisions].
28
So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape.
29 From there David went up and lived in the strongholds of 'Ein-Gedi.
29
David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.