Young's Literal Translation YLT
Holman Christian Standard Bible CSB
1 And they declare to David, saying, `Lo, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are spoiling the threshing-floors.'
1
It was reported to David: "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and raiding the threshing floors."
2 And David asketh at Jehovah, saying, `Do I go? -- and have I smitten among these Philistines?' And Jehovah saith unto David, `Go, and thou hast smitten among the Philistines, and saved Keilah.'
2
So David inquired of the Lord: "Should I launch an attack against these Philistines?" The Lord answered David, "Launch an attack against the Philistines and rescue Keilah."
3 And David's men say unto him, `Lo, we here in Judah are afraid; and how much more when we go to Keilah, unto the ranks of the Philistines?'
3
But David's men said to him, "Look, we're afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!"
4 And David addeth again to ask at Jehovah, and Jehovah answereth him, and saith, `Rise, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into thy hand.
4
Once again, David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him: "Go at once to Keilah, for I will hand the Philistines over to you.
5 And David goeth, and his men, to Keilah, and fighteth with the Philistines, and leadeth away their cattle, and smiteth among them -- a great smiting, and David saveth the inhabitants of Keilah.
5
Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, drove their livestock away, and inflicted heavy losses on them. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 And it cometh to pass, in the fleeing of Abiathar son of Ahimelech unto David, to Keilah, an ephod came down in his hand.
6
Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, and he brought an ephod with him.
7 And it is declared to Saul that David hath come in to Keilah, and Saul saith, `God hath made him known for my hand, for he hath been shut in, to enter into a city of doors and bar.'
7
When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, "God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates."
8 And Saul summoneth the whole of the people to battle, to go down to Keilah, to lay siege unto David and unto his men.
8
Then Saul summoned all the troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9 And David knoweth that against him Saul is devising the evil, and saith unto Abiathar the priest, `Bring nigh the ephod.'
9
When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod."
10 And David saith, `Jehovah, God of Israel, Thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul is seeking to come in unto Keilah, to destroy the city on mine account.
10
Then David said, "Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.
11 Do the possessors of Keilah shut me up into his hand? doth Saul come down as Thy servant hath heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, declare, I pray Thee, to Thy servant.' And Jehovah saith, `He doth come down.'
11
Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, please tell Your servant." The Lord answered, "He will come down."
12 And David saith, `Do the possessors of Keilah shut me up, and my men, into the hand of Saul?' And Jehovah saith, `They shut [thee] up.'
12
Then David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" "They will," the Lord responded.
13 And David riseth -- and his men -- about six hundred men, and they go out from Keilah, and go up and down where they go up and down; and to Saul it hath been declared that David hath escaped from Keilah, and he ceaseth to go out.
13
So David and his men, numbering about 600, left Keilah at once and moved from place to place. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition.
14 And David abideth in the wilderness, in fortresses, and abideth in the hill-country, in the wilderness of Ziph; and Saul seeketh him all the days, and God hath not given him into his hand
14
David then stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him.
15 And David seeth that Saul hath come out to seek his life, and David [is] in the wilderness of Ziph, in a forest.
15
David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.
16 And Jonathan son of Saul riseth, and goeth unto David to the forest, and strengtheneth his hand in God,
16
Then Saul's son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in [his faith in] God,
17 and saith unto him, `Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father doth not find thee, and thou dost reign over Israel, and I am to thee for second, and also so knoweth Saul my father.'
17
saying, "Don't be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, and I'll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true."
18 And they make a covenant both of them before Jehovah; and David abideth in the forest, and Jonathan hath gone to his house.
18
Then the two of them made a covenant in the Lord's presence. Afterwards, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.
19 And the Ziphites go up unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, `Is not David hiding himself with us in fortresses, in the forest, in the height of Hachilah, which [is] on the south of the desolate place
19
Some Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "David is hiding among us in the strongholds in Horesh on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon.
20 And, now, by all the desire of thy soul, O king, to come down, come down, and ours [is] to shut him up into the hand of the king.'
20
Now, whenever the king wants to come down, let him come down. Our part will be to hand him over to the king."
21 And Saul saith, `Blessed [are] ye of Jehovah, for ye have pity on me
21
"May you be blessed by the Lord," replied Saul, "for you have taken pity on me
22 go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his foot is; who hath seen him there? for [one] hath said unto me, He is very subtile.
22
Go and check again. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there; they tell me he is extremely cunning.
23 And see and know of all the hiding-places where he hideth himself, and ye have turned back unto me prepared, and I have gone with you, and it hath been, if he is in the land, that I have searched him out through all the thousands of Judah.'
23
Look and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with accurate information, and I'll go with you. If it turns out he really is in the region, I'll search for him among all the clans of Judah."
24 And they rise and go to Ziph before Saul, and David and his men [are] in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain, at the south of the desolate place.
24
So they went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness near Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,
25 And Saul and his men go to seek, and they declare to David, and he goeth down the rock, and abideth in the wilderness of Maon; and Saul heareth, and pursueth after David [to] the wilderness of Maon.
25
and Saul and his men went to look for [him]. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David there.
26 And Saul goeth on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain, and David is hastened to go from the face of Saul, and Saul and his men are compassing David and his men, to catch them.
26
Saul went along one side of the mountain and David and his men went along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away from Saul, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.
27 And a messenger hath come in unto Saul, saying, `Haste, and come, for the Philistines have pushed against the land.'
27
Then a messenger came to Saul saying, "Come quickly, because the Philistines have raided the land!"
28 And Saul turneth back from pursuing after David, and goeth to meet the Philistines, therefore they have called that place `The Rock of Divisions.'
28
So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation.
29 And David goeth up thence, and abideth in fortresses [at] En-gedi.
29
From there David went up and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.