Parallel Bible results for "1 samuel 23"

1 Samuel 23

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"

New Century Version NCV

1 Someone told David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and stealing grain from the threshing floors."

2 David asked the Lord, "Should I go and fight these Philistines?" The Lord answered him, "Go. Attack them, and save Keilah."

3 But David's men said to him, "We're afraid here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistine army is."

4 David again asked the Lord, and the Lord answered, "Go down to Keilah. I will help you defeat the Philistines.

5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines and took their cattle. David killed many Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.

6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the holy vest with him when he came to David at Keilah.)

7 Someone told Saul that David was now at Keilah. Saul said, "God has handed David over to me! He has trapped himself, because he has entered a town with gates and bars."

8 Saul called all his army together for battle, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.

9 David learned Saul was making evil plans against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the holy vest."

10 David prayed, "Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah to destroy the town because of me.

11 Will the leaders of Keilah hand me over to Saul? Will Saul come down to Keilah, as I heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell me, your servant!" The Lord answered, "Saul will come down."

12 Again David asked, "Will the leaders of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" The Lord answered, "They will."

13 So David and his six hundred men left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

14 David stayed in the desert hideouts and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Every day Saul looked for David, but the Lord did not surrender David to him

15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul was coming to kill him.

16 But Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and strengthened his faith in God.

17 Jonathan told him, "Don't be afraid, because my father won't touch you. You will be king of Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this."

18 The two of them made an agreement before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.

19 The people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, "David is hiding in our land. He's at the hideouts of Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon

20 Now, our king, come down anytime you want. It's our duty to hand David over to you."

21 Saul answered, "The Lord bless you for helping me

22 Go and learn more about him. Find out where he is staying and who has seen him there. I have heard that he is clever.

23 Find all the hiding places he uses, and come back and tell me everything. Then I'll go with you. If David is in the area, I will track him down among all the families in Judah."

24 So they went back to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maonn in the desert area south of Jeshimon.

25 Saul and his men went to look for David, but David heard about it and went down to a rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard that, he followed David into the Desert of Maon.

26 Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul, because Saul and his men were closing in on them.

27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly! The Philistines are attacking our land!"

28 So Saul stopped chasing David and went to challenge the Philistines. That is why people call this place Rock of Parting.

29 David also left the Desert of Maon and stayed in the hideouts of En Gedi.