Parallel Bible results for "1 samuel 23"

1 Samuel 23

New Living Translation NLT

1 One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors.

2 David asked the LORD, “Should I go and attack them?” “Yes, go and save Keilah,” the LORD told him.

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 So David asked the LORD again, and again the LORD replied, “Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.”

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 Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.

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 Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

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 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 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 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—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 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 One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him.

16 Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.

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 So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the LORD . Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.

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 Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!”

21 “The LORD bless you,” Saul said. “At last someone is concerned about me!

22 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 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 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 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 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 an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.

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 David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.

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"