1Samuel:23

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* And they spoke to David , saying , Behold , the Philistines are fighting against Keilah , and they are plundering the threshing floors . * And David asked of Jehovah , saying , Shall I go ? And shall I strike against these Philistines ? And Jehovah said to David , Go , and you shall strike the Philistines and save Keilah . * And David 's men said to him , Behold , we are afraid here in Judah ; and how shall we go to Keilah to the armies of the Philistines ? * And David once again inquired of Jehovah . And Jehovah answered him and said , Rise up , go down to Keilah , for I have given the Philistines into your hand . * And David and his men went to Keilah , and fought with the Philistines , and led away their livestock , and killed among them with a great blow . And David saved the inhabitants of Keilah . * And it happened , when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David , near Keilah , an ephod came in his hand . * And it was told to Saul that David had come to Keilah . And Saul said , God has estranged him into my hand . For he is shut in , to enter into a city of gates and a bar . * And Saul heard and called all the people to battle , to go down to Keilah , to lay siege to David and to his men . * But David knew that Saul was devising evil against him . And he said to Abiathar the priest , Bring the ephod near . * And David said , O Jehovah the God of Israel , Your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me . * Will the masters of Keilah shut me up into his hand ? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard ? I pray You , Jehovah the God of Israel , tell your servant . And Jehovah said , He will come down . * And David said , Will the masters of Keilah shut me and my men up into Saul 's hand ? And Jehovah said , They will shut you up . * And David and his men , about six hundred men , rose up and left Keilah , and went wherever they could go . And it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah . And he ceased to go out . * And David stayed in the wilderness , in the strongholds . And he stayed in the hill , in the wilderness of Ziph . And Saul sought him all his days . And God did not give him into his hand . * And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life ; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph , in the forest . * And Jonathan the son of Saul rose up and went out to David , to the forest . And he made his hand strong in God , * and said to him , Do not fear , for the hand of my father Saul shall not find you ; and you shall reign over Israel ; and I shall be second to you . And my father Saul knows it is so . * And they cut a covenant , both of them , before Jehovah . And David stayed in the forest , and Jonathan went to his house . * And the men of Ziph went to Saul , to Gibeah , saying , Is not David hiding himself with us in strongholds , in the forest , in the hill of Hachilah , which is south of the wilderness ? * And now , come down according to all the desires of your soul , O king . Come down , and our duty is to deliver him up into the king 's hand . * And Saul said , You are blessed of Jehovah , for you have had pity on me . * Please go , make yet more sure , and know , and see his place where his foot is ; who has seen him there , for one has said to me , He is very subtle . * And see and know of all the hiding places where he hides himself . And you shall return to me ready , and I shall go with you , and it shall be , if he is in the land , that I shall search him out through all the thousands of Judah . * And they rose up and went to Ziph before Saul . But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon , in the Arabah on the south of the desert . * And Saul and his men went to search . And they told David . And he went down to the rock , and stayed in the wilderness of Maon . And Saul heard , and pursued David in the wilderness of Maon . * And Saul went on this side of the mountain , and David and his men on that side of the mountain . And David was hurrying to go away from the face of Saul . And Saul and his men were encircling David and his men , to catch them . * And a messenger came to Saul , saying , Hurry , and come , for the Philistines have made a raid on the land . * And Saul turned back from pursuing David , and went to meet the Philistines . On account of this they have called that place , The Rock of the Division . * And David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds at Engedi .

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