New Revised Standard NRS
Common English Bible CEB
1 Now they told David, "The Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors."
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David was told, "The Philistines are now attacking Keilah and looting the threshing floors!"
2 David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" The Lord said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah."
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David asked the LORD, "Should I go and fight these Philistines?" "Go!" the LORD answered. "Fight the Philistines and save Keilah!"
3 But David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
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But David's men said to him, "Look how frightened we are here in Judah. It'll be worse if we go to Keilah against Philistine forces!"
4 Then David inquired of the Lord again. The Lord answered him, "Yes, go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into your hand.
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So David asked the LORD again, and the LORD reaffirmed, "Yes, go down to Keilah, because I will hand the Philistines over to you."
5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought with the Philistines, brought away their livestock, and dealt them a heavy defeat. Thus David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.
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Then David and his soldiers went to Keilah and fought the Philistines, driving off their cattle and defeating them decisively. And that's how David saved the residents of Keilah.
6 When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
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Now after Abiathar, Ahimelech's son, fled to David, he had accompanied David to Keilah, bringing a priestly vest with him.
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."
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When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, "God has handed him over to me now because he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars!"
8 Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
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So Saul called up all his troops for war, to go down to Keilah and attack David and his soldiers.
9 When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to the priest Abiathar, "Bring the ephod here."
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When David learned that Saul was planning to harm him, he told the priest Abiathar, "Bring the priestly vest now."
10 David said, "O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.
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Then David said, "LORD God of Israel, I, your servant, have heard that Saul plans on coming to Keilah and will destroy the town because of me.
11 And now, will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant." The Lord said, "He will come down."
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LORD God of Israel, will Saul come down as your servant has heard? Please tell your servant." "Yes, he will come down," the LORD answered.
12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" The Lord said, "They will surrender you."
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Next David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my soldiers over to Saul?" "Yes, they will hand you over," the LORD replied.
13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they wandered wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.
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So David and his troops—approximately six hundred men—got up and left Keilah. They kept moving, going from one place to the next. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he didn't go there.
14 David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but the Lord did not give him into his hand
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David lived in the fortresses in the wilderness and in the hills of the Ziph wilderness. Saul searched for him constantly, but God did not hand David over to Saul.
15 David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh when he learned that Saul had come out to seek his life.
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While David was at Horesh in the Ziph wilderness he learned that Saul was looking to kill him.
16 Saul's son Jonathan set out and came to David at Horesh; there he strengthened his hand through the Lord.
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Saul's son Jonathan came to David at Horesh and encouraged him with God.
17 He said to him, "Do not be afraid; for the hand of my father Saul shall not find you; you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be second to you; my father Saul also knows that this is so."
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Jonathan said to him, "Don't be afraid! My father Saul's hand won't touch you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul knows this."
18 Then the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
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Then the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David stayed at Horesh, but Jonathan went back home.
19 Then some Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "David is hiding among us in the strongholds of Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon
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Some Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah. "David is hiding among us in the fortresses at Horesh on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon," they said.
20 Now, O king, whenever you wish to come down, do so; and our part will be to surrender him into the king's hand."
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"So whenever you want to come down, Your Majesty, do it! Leave it to us to hand him over to the king."
21 Saul said, "May you be blessed by the Lord for showing me compassion
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"The LORD bless you because you have shown this kindness to me!" Saul said.
22 Go and make sure once more; find out exactly where he is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning.
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"Go now and get everything ready. Find out everything you can: where he stays, where he goes, who has seen him. I am told he is very shrewd.
23 Look around and learn all the hiding places where he lurks, 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."
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Find out every hiding place he uses there and come back to me when you know for certain. I will then go with you. If David is in the area, I will hunt him down among any of Judah's clans!"
24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.
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So they got up and left for Ziph ahead of Saul. Meanwhile, David and his soldiers were in the Maon wilderness in the desert plain south of Jeshimon.
25 Saul and his men went to search for him. When David was told, he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David into the wilderness of Maon.
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When Saul and his troops went looking for him, David was told about it, so he went down to a certain rock there and stayed in the Maon wilderness. When Saul heard that, he went into the Maon wilderness after David.
26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.
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Saul was going around one side of a hill there while David and his soldiers were going around the other. David was hurrying to get away from Saul while Saul and his troops were trying to surround David and his soldiers in order to capture them.
27 Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land."
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But a messenger suddenly came to Saul. "Come quick!" he said. "The Philistines have invaded the land!"
28 So Saul stopped pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.
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So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to fight the Philistines. That's why that place is called Escape Rock.
29 David then went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.
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Then David went from there and lived at the En-gedi fortresses.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible