Parallel Bible results for "1 samuel 23"

1 Samuel 23

English Standard Version ESV

1 Now they told David, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors."

2 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah."

3 But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"

4 Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.

5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.

7 Now 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."

8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."

10 Then said David, "O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.

11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, please tell your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down."

12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you."

13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.

14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand

15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

16 And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.

17 And he said to him, "Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this."

18 And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon

20 Now come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand."

21 And Saul said, "May you be blessed by the LORD, for you have had compassion on me

22 Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning.

23 See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, 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."

24 And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.

25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them,

27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land."

28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.

29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.

The Message Bible MSG

1 It was reported to David that the Philistines were raiding Keilah and looting the grain.

2 David went in prayer to God: "Should I go after these Philistines and teach them a lesson?" God said, "Go. Attack the Philistines and save Keilah."

3 But David's men said, "We live in fear of our lives right here in Judah. How can you think of going to Keilah in the thick of the Philistines?"

4 So David went back to God in prayer. God said, "Get going. Head for Keilah. I'm placing the Philistines in your hands.

5 David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He scattered their cattle, beat them decisively, and saved the people of Keilah.

6 After Abiathar took refuge with David, he joined David in the raid on Keilah, bringing the Ephod with him.

7 Saul learned that David had gone to Keilah and thought immediately, "Good! God has handed him to me on a platter! He's in a walled city with locked gates, trapped!"

8 Saul mustered his troops for battle and set out for Keilah to lay siege to David and his men.

9 But David got wind of Saul's strategy to destroy him and said to Abiathar the priest, "Get the Ephod."

10 Then David prayed to God: "God of Israel, I've just heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the city because of me.

11 Will the city fathers of Keilah turn me over to him? Will Saul come down and do what I've heard? O God, God of Israel, tell me!" God replied, "He's coming down."

12 "And will the head men of Keilah turn me and my men over to Saul?" And God said, "They'll turn you over."

13 So David and his men got out of there. There were about six hundred of them. They left Keilah and kept moving, going here, there, wherever - always on the move. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the raid.

14 David continued to live in desert hideouts and the backcountry wilderness hills of Ziph. Saul was out looking for him day after day, but God never turned David over to him

15 David kept out of the way in the wilderness of Ziph, secluded at Horesh, since it was plain that Saul was determined to hunt him down.

16 Jonathan, Saul's son, visited David at Horesh and encouraged him in God.

17 He said, "Don't despair. My father, Saul, can't lay a hand on you. You will be Israel's king and I'll be right at your side to help. And my father knows it."

18 Then the two of them made a covenant before God. David stayed at Horesh and Jonathan went home.

19 Some Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Did you know that David is hiding out near us in the caves and canyons of Horesh? Right now he's at Hakilah Hill just south of Jeshimon

20 So whenever you're ready to come down, we'd count it an honor to hand him over to the king."

21 Saul said, "God bless you for thinking about me

22 Now go back and check everything out. Learn his routines. Observe his movements - where he goes, who he's with. He's very shrewd, you know.

23 Scout out all his hiding places. Then meet me at Nacon and I'll go with you. If he is anywhere to be found in all the thousands of Judah, I'll track him down!"

24 So the Ziphites set out on their reconnaissance for Saul.

25 Saul and his men arrived and began their search. When David heard of it, he went south to Rock Mountain, camping out in the wilderness of Maon. Saul heard where he was and set off for the wilderness of Maon in pursuit.

26 Saul was on one side of the mountain, David and his men on the other. David was in full retreat, running, with Saul and his men closing in, about to get him.

27 Just then a messenger came to Saul and said, "Hurry! Come back! The Philistines have just attacked the country!"

28 So Saul called off his pursuit of David and went back to deal with the Philistines. That's how that place got the name Narrow Escape.

29 David left there and camped out in the caves and canyons of En Gedi. "I'm No Rebel"