1Samuel:23-24

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* Then they told David , saying , Behold , the Philistines fight against Keilah , and they rob the threshingfloors . * Therefore David enquired of the LORD , saying , Shall I go and smite these Philistines ? And the LORD said unto David , Go , and smite the Philistines , and save Keilah . * And David 's men said unto him , Behold , we be afraid here in Judah : how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines ? * Then David enquired of the LORD yet again . And the LORD answered him and said , Arise , go down to Keilah ; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand . * So David and his men went to Keilah , and fought with the Philistines , and brought away their cattle , and smote them with a great slaughter . So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah . * And it came to pass , when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah , that he came down with an ephod in his hand . * And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah . And Saul said , God hath delivered him into mine hand ; for he is shut in , by entering into a town that hath gates and bars . * And Saul called all the people together to war , to go down to Keilah , to besiege David and his men . * And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him ; and he said to Abiathar the priest , Bring hither the ephod . * Then said David , O LORD God of Israel , thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah , to destroy the city for my sake . * Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand ? will Saul come down , as thy servant hath heard ? O LORD God of Israel , I beseech thee , tell thy servant . And the LORD said , He will come down . * Then said David , Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul ? And the LORD said , They will deliver thee up . * Then David and his men , which were about six hundred , arose and departed out of Keilah , and went whithersoever they could go . And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah ; and he forbare to go forth . * And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds , and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph . And Saul sought him every day , but God delivered him not into his hand . * And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life : and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood . * And Jonathan Saul 's son arose , and went to David into the wood , and strengthened his hand in God . * And he said unto him , Fear not : for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee ; and thou shalt be king over Israel , and I shall be next unto thee ; and that also Saul my father knoweth . * And they two made a covenant before the LORD : and David abode in the wood , and Jonathan went to his house . * Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah , saying , Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood , in the hill of Hachilah , which is on the south of Jeshimon ? * Now therefore , O king , come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down ; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king 's hand . * And Saul said , Blessed be ye of the LORD ; for ye have compassion on me . * Go , I pray you , prepare yet , and know and see his place where his haunt is , and who hath seen him there : for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly . * See therefore , and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself , and come ye again to me with the certainty , and I will go with you : and it shall come to pass , if he be in the land , that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah . * And they arose , and went to Ziph before Saul : but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon , in the plain on the south of Jeshimon . * Saul also and his men went to seek him . And they told David : wherefore he came down into a rock , and abode in the wilderness of Maon . And when Saul heard that , he pursued after 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 made haste to get away for fear of Saul ; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them . * But there came a messenger unto Saul , saying , Haste thee , and come ; for the Philistines have invaded the land . * Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David , and went against the Philistines : therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth . * And David went up from thence , and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi . * And it came to pass , when Saul was returned from following the Philistines , that it was told him , saying , Behold , David is in the wilderness of Engedi . * Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel , and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats . * And he came to the sheepcotes by the way , where was a cave ; and Saul went in to cover his feet : and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave . * And the men of David said unto him , Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee , Behold , I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand , that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee . Then David arose , and cut off the skirt of Saul 's robe privily . * And it came to pass afterward , that David 's heart smote him , because he had cut off Saul 's skirt . * And he said unto his men , The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master , the LORD 'S anointed , to stretch forth mine hand against him , seeing he is the anointed of the LORD . * So David stayed his servants with these words , and suffered them not to rise against Saul . But Saul rose up out of the cave , and went on his way . * David also arose afterward , and went out of the cave , and cried after Saul , saying , My lord the king . And when Saul looked behind him , David stooped with his face to the earth , and bowed himself . * And David said to Saul , Wherefore hearest thou men 's words , saying , Behold , David seeketh thy hurt ? * Behold , this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave : and some bade me kill thee : but mine eye spared thee ; and I said , I will not put forth mine hand against my lord ; for he is the LORD 'S anointed . * Moreover , my father , see , yea , see the skirt of thy robe in my hand : for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe , and killed thee not , know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand , and I have not sinned against thee ; yet thou huntest my soul to take it . * The LORD judge between me and thee , and the LORD avenge me of thee : but mine hand shall not be upon thee . * As saith the proverb of the ancients , Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked : but mine hand shall not be upon thee . * After whom is the king of Israel come out ? after whom dost thou pursue ? after a dead dog , after a flea . * The LORD therefore be judge , and judge between me and thee , and see , and plead my cause , and deliver me out of thine hand . * And it came to pass , when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul , that Saul said , Is this thy voice , my son David ? And Saul lifted up his voice , and wept . * And he said to David , Thou art more righteous than I : for thou hast rewarded me good , whereas I have rewarded thee evil . * And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me : forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand , thou killedst me not . * For if a man find his enemy , will he let him go well away ? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day . * And now , behold , I know well that thou shalt surely be king , and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand . * Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD , that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me , and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father 's house . * And David sware unto Saul . And Saul went home ; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold . * And Samuel died ; and all the Israelites were gathered together , and lamented him , and buried him in his house at Ramah . And David arose , and went down to the wilderness of Paran .

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