1 Samuel 23

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 David received information that the Philistines were attacking Keilah and plundering the threshing floors.	1 Now they told David, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors."
2 So he consulted the LORD, inquiring, "Shall I go and defeat these Philistines?" The LORD answered, "Go, for you will defeat the Philistines and rescue Keilah."	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: "We are afraid here in Judah. How much more so if we go to Keilah against the forces of the Philistines!"	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 Again David consulted the LORD, who answered, "Go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your power."	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 David then went with his men to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. He drove off their cattle and inflicted a severe defeat on them, and thus rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.	5 And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and made a great slaughter among them. So David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, who had fled to David, went down with David to Keilah, taking the ephod with him.	6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 When Saul was told that David had entered Keilah, he said: "God has put him in my grip. Now he has shut himself in, for he has entered a city with gates and bars."	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 Saul then called all the people to war, in order to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.	8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 When David found out that Saul was planning to harm him, he said to the priest Abiathar, "Bring forward the ephod."	9 David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."
10 David then said: "O LORD God of Israel, your servant has heard a report that Saul plans to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.	10 Then said David, "O LORD, the God of Israel, thy servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.
11 Will they hand me over? And now: will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, tell your servant." The LORD answered, "He will come down."	11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as thy servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down."
12 David then asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me and my men into the grasp of Saul?" And the LORD answered, "Yes."	12 Then said David, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you."
13 So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and wandered from place to place. When Saul was informed that David had escaped from Keilah, he abandoned the expedition.	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 David now lived in the refuges in the desert, or in the barren hill country near Ziph. Though Saul sought him continually, the LORD did not deliver David into his grasp.	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 was apprehensive because Saul had come out to seek his life; but while he was at Horesh in the barrens near Ziph,	15 And David was afraid because Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
16 Saul's son, Jonathan, came down there to David and strengthened his resolve in the LORD.	16 And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose, and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 He said to him: "Have no fear, my father Saul shall not lay a hand to you. You shall be king of Israel and I shall be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this."	17 And he said to him, "Fear not; 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 They made a joint agreement before the LORD in Horesh, where David remained, while Jonathan returned to his home.	18 And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 Some of the Ziphites went up to Saul in Gibeah and said, "David is hiding among us, now in the refuges, and again at Horesh, or on the hill of Hachilah, south of the wasteland.	19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibe-ah, saying, "Does not David hide among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?
20 Therefore, whenever the king wishes to come down, let him do so. It will be our task to deliver him into the king's grasp."	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 Saul replied: "The LORD bless you for your sympathy toward me.	21 And Saul said, "May you be blessed by the LORD; for you have had compassion on me.
22 Go now and make sure once more! Take note of the place where he sets foot" (for he thought, perhaps they are playing some trick on me).	22 Go, make yet more sure; know and see the place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for it is told me that he is very cunning.
23 "Look around and learn in which of all the various hiding places he is holding out. Then come back to me with sure information, and I will go with you. If he is in the region, I will search him out among all the families of Judah."	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 So they went off to Ziph ahead of Saul. At this time David and his men were in the desert below Maon, in the Arabah south of the wasteland.	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 When Saul and his men came looking for him, David got word of it and went down to the gorge in the desert below Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David into the desert below Maon.	25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told; therefore he went down to the rock which is in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 As Saul moved along one rim of the gorge, David and his men took to the other. David was in anxious flight to escape Saul, and Saul and his men were attempting to outflank David and his men in order to capture them,	26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was making haste to get away from Saul, as Saul and his men were closing in upon David and his men to capture them,
27 when a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly, because the Philistines have invaded the land."	27 when a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Make haste and come; for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land."
28 Saul interrupted his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. This is how that place came to be called the Gorge of Divisions.	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 dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi.