1 Samuel 23:1–12

David Saves Keilah

¹Then they told David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against ^aKeilah and are pillaging the threshing floors.”

²So David ^aasked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” And Yahweh said to David, “Go and strike the Philistines and save Keilah.”

³But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the battle lines of the Philistines?”

⁴Then David asked of Yahweh once more. And Yahweh answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for ^aI will give the Philistines into your hand.”

⁵So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines; and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

⁶Now it happened when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech ^afled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

⁷Then it was told to Saul that David had come to Keilah, so Saul said, “God has ¹delivered him into my hand, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars.”

⁸Then Saul summoned all the people for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹But David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to ^aAbiathar the priest, “^bBring the ephod here.”

¹⁰Then David said, “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, Your slave has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to make the city a ruin on my account.

¹¹“Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your slave has heard? O Yahweh, the God of Israel, I pray, tell Your slave.” And Yahweh said, “He will come down.”

¹²Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And Yahweh said, “^aThey will surrender you.”