1 Samuel 23–24

David Defeats the Philistines at Keilah

23Now they told David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting in Keilah and they are raiding the threshing floors.” ²So David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And Yahweh said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save^a Keilah.” ³But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more^b if we go to Keilah to the battle lines of the Philistines?” ⁴So David again inquired of Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him and said, “Get up, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. They drove off their livestock and dealt them a heavy blow.^c So David saved^d the inhabitants of Keilah.

David Flees from Saul at Keilah

⁶Now when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled^e to David at Keilah, he went down with an ephod in his hand. ⁷When it was told to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, Saul said, “God has given him^f into my hand, because he has shut himself in by going into a city with two barred gates.^{g 8}Saul then summoned all of the army for the battle, to go down to Keilah to lay a siege against David and his men. ⁹When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” ¹⁰And David said, “O Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. ¹¹Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Yahweh, God of Israel, please tell your servant!” And Yahweh said, “He will come down.” ¹²Then David said, “Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And Yahweh said, “They will deliver you.” ¹³So David and his men got up, about six hundred men, and went out from Keilah and wandered wherever they could go. When it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he stopped his pursuit.^h

David Eludes Saul’s Pursuit

¹⁴David remained in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him continually,ⁱ but God did not give him into his hand. ¹⁵When David realized that Saul had gone out to seek his life, David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. ¹⁶So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him^j through God. ¹⁷He said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you.^k My father Saul knows this also.” ¹⁸Then the two of them made^l a covenant before Yahweh. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.

¹⁹Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is south of Jeshimon? ²⁰So then, O king, whenever you want^m to come down, come down, and it will be for us to deliver him into the hand of the king.” ²¹And Saul said to them, “May you be blessed by Yahweh, for you have shown me compassion! ²²Go, please, make certain again! Find out and see exactly where he isⁿ and who has seen him there! For they have said to me, ‘He is very cunning.’ ²³Look, find out all of the hiding places where he hides. Then return to me with dependable information,^o and I will go with you. And then if he is there in the land, then I will seek him among all the thousands of Judah.” ²⁴Then they got up and went to Ziph before Saul.

Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah, to the south of Jeshimon. ²⁵And Saul and his men went to seek him, and they told David, so he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard this, he pursued David into the wilderness of Maon. ²⁶Saul went on one side of the mountain,^p and David and his men went on the other side of the mountain.^q David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. ²⁷But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, because the Philistines have made a raid on the land!” ²⁸So Saul returned from pursuing David, and he went to confront^r the Philistines. Therefore, they called that place the Rock of Division.^{s 29t} David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi.

David Spares Saul in the Cave at En Gedi

24When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, they told him, “Look, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi.” ²So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and he and his men went to search for David in the direction of^a the Rocks of the Mountain Goats.^{b 3}He came to the sheep pens beside the road, and a cave was there. Then Saul went in to relieve himself.^c Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost part of the cave. ⁴And David’s men said to him, “Look, today is the day about which Yahweh said to you, ‘See, I am giving your enemy^d into your hand, and you can do to him whatever seems good to you.’ ”^e So David got up and secretly cut the hem of Saul’s robe. ⁵And then^f afterward David felt guilty,^g because he had cut the hem of Saul’s robe.^{h 6}He said to his men, “Far be it from me inⁱ Yahweh, that I do this thing to my lord, to Yahweh’s anointed one, by stretching out my hand against him! For he is the anointed one of Yahweh.” ⁷So David rebuked his men with the words and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave, and he went on his^j way.

⁸Then David got up afterward and went out of the cave and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked after him, David knelt down with his face to the ground and bowed down. ⁹Then David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of people who say: ‘Look, David is seeking to do you harm’?^{k 10}Look, this day your eyes have seen that Yahweh gave you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you. But I took pity^l on you and said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, because he is Yahweh’s anointed one.’ ¹¹Now, my father, see, yes, see, the hem of your robe in my hand! For when I cut^m the hem of your robe I did not kill you. Know and realizeⁿ that there is no evil or rebellion in my hand. I did not sin against you, but you are hunting down my life to take it. ¹²May Yahweh judge between me and you, and may Yahweh avenge me on you, but my hand will not be against you! ¹³Just as the ancient proverb says, ‘From the wicked, wickedness goes out,’ but my hand will not be against you! ¹⁴After whom did the king of Israel go out? After whom are you pursuing? After a dead dog? After one flea? ¹⁵May Yahweh be the judge, and let him judge between me and you, and may he see and plead my case. May he vindicate me against you!”^o

¹⁶When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. ¹⁷Then he said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me the good, but I have repaid you the evil. ¹⁸You have explained to me today that you have dealt well with me, how^p Yahweh delivered me into your hand but you did not kill me. ¹⁹For a man has found his enemy but sent him on his way safely. Now may Yahweh reward you with good in return for this day, for what you have done for me. ²⁰So now then, look, I know that you will certainly be king and the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. ²¹So then, swear to me by Yahweh that you will not cut off my descendants^q after me and that you will not wipe out my name from my father’s house.” ²²So David swore this on oath to Saul, and Saul went to his house, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.