1 Samuel 23–24

David Saves Keilah

23When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah^y and are looting the threshing floors,”^{z 2}he inquired^a of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

³But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

⁴Once again David inquired^b of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines^c into your hand.^d” ⁵So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. ⁶(Now Abiathar^e son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod^f down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

Saul Pursues David

⁷Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands,^g for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”^{h 8}And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiatharⁱ the priest, “Bring the ephod.^j” ¹⁰David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. ¹¹Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”

And the Lord said, “He will.”

¹²Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender^k me and my men to Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will.”

¹³So David and his men,^l about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

¹⁴David stayed in the wilderness^m strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph.ⁿ Day after day Saul searched^o for him, but God did not^p give David into his hands.

¹⁵While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that^a Saul had come out to take his life.^{q 16}And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength^r in God. ¹⁷“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king^s over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” ¹⁸The two of them made a covenant^t before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

¹⁹The Ziphites^u went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us^v in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah,^w south of Jeshimon? ²⁰Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving^x him into your hands.”

²¹Saul replied, “The Lord bless^y you for your concern^z for me. ²²Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. ²³Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track^a him down among all the clans of Judah.”

²⁴So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon,^b in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.^{c 25}Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

²⁶Saul^d was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, ²⁷a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” ²⁸Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.^{b 29}And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds^e of En Gedi.^cf

David Spares Saul’s Life

24^aAfter Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.^g” ²So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look^h for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

³He came to the sheep pens along the way; a caveⁱ was there, and Saul went in to relieve^j himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. ⁴The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke^k of when he said^b to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’ ”^l Then David crept up unnoticed and cut^m off a corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵Afterward, David was conscience-strickenⁿ for having cut off a corner of his robe. ⁶He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed,^o or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” ⁷With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

⁸Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.^{p 9}He said to Saul, “Why do you listen^q when men say, ‘David is bent on harming^r you’? ¹⁰This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared^s you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut^t off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty^u of wrongdoing^v or rebellion. I have not wronged^w you, but you are hunting^x me down to take my life.^{y 12}May the Lord judge^z between you and me. And may the Lord avenge^a the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. ¹³As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,^b’ so my hand will not touch you.

¹⁴“Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog?^c A flea?^{d 15}May the Lord be our judge^e and decide^f between us. May he consider my cause and uphold^g it; may he vindicate^h me by deliveringⁱ me from your hand.”

¹⁶When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice,^j David my son?” And he wept aloud. ¹⁷“You are more righteous than I,”^k he said. “You have treated me well,^l but I have treated you badly.^{m 18}You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord deliveredⁿ me into your hands, but you did not kill me. ¹⁹When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward^o you well for the way you treated me today. ²⁰I know that you will surely be king^p and that the kingdom^q of Israel will be established in your hands. ²¹Now swear^r to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.^s”

²²So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.^t