1 Samuel 23 – 24

David and the People of Keilah

1 Samuel 23

¹ David was told, “Here’s news! The Philistines are fighting against Keilah and plundering the threshing floors.”

² So David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?”

The Lord said to David, “Go strike the Philistines and save Keilah.”

³ But David’s men said to him, “Look how afraid we are here in Judah! How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines!”

⁴ Then David inquired of the Lord again, and the Lord answered him, “Set out and go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah and fought against the Philistines. He took away their livestock and struck a heavy blow against the Philistines. David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

⁶ (When Abiathar son of Ahimelek fled with David to Keilah, he had brought the special vest, which was in his possession.)

⁷ When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, since David has trapped himself by entering a city that has barred gates.” ⁸ Then Saul summoned all the fighting men to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹ David knew that Saul was planning to harm him, so he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the special vest here.” ¹⁰ Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has heard a specific report that Saul plans to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. ¹¹ Will the citzens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, please tell your servant.”

The Lord said, “He will come down.”

¹² Then David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?”

The Lord said, “They will hand you over.”

¹³ Then David and his men, who numbered about six hundred, immediately departed from Keilah and went wherever they could. ^[1] When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up his plan to go there.

David in the Wilderness of Ziph

¹⁴ David stayed in the strongholds in the wilderness. He remained in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. ¹⁵ David knew that Saul had come to seek his life.

David was at Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph. ¹⁶ Saul’s son Jonathan set out and came to David at Horesh. There he strengthened his hand in God. ¹⁷ He said to him, “Do not be afraid, because the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows that.” ¹⁸ They both made a covenant before the Lord. Then David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan returned home.

¹⁹ Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Do you know that David is hiding near us in the strongholds at Horesh near the Hill of Hakilah, in the southern part of the badlands? ^{[2] 20} So now, O King, come down! Come down whenever you wish to come, and our role will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.”

²¹ Saul said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have sympathized with me. ²² Go and make sure that you know exactly where he is and who has seen him there, for I have been told that he is very wily. ²³ Make sure that you know all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with solid information. Then I will come with you. If he is in the land, you can be sure that I will hunt him down among all the thousands of Judah.” ²⁴ So Saul’s men set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.

Meanwhile David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah, ^[3] south of the badlands.

David in the Wilderness of Maon

²⁵ Saul and his men went to look for David. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon. ²⁶ Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side. David hurried to get away from Saul and his men, who were trying to surround David and his men in order to capture them. ²⁷ But a messenger came to Saul and said, “Hurry! Come back, because the Philistines have made a raid on the land!” ²⁸ So Saul turned back from pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines. That is why that place is named Sela Hamahlekoth. ^[4]

David and Saul at En Gedi

²⁹ Then David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi. ^[5]

1 Samuel 24

¹ When Saul had returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “Here’s some news. David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.” ^{[6] 2} Then Saul took three thousand specially chosen men ^[7] from all Israel and went to hunt for David and his men along the rocky slopes of the wild goats. ^[8]

³ Saul came to some sheep pens that were along that route. Saul went into a cave that was there to relieve himself. ^[9] At that time David and his men were far back in the interior of the cave.

⁴ David’s men said to him, “Look, this is the day the Lord told you about when he said, ‘I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you will do to him whatever seems good to you.’” So David got up and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe without being noticed.

⁵ Afterward, David had a guilty conscience, because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. ⁶ He said to his men, “May I be cursed if I do something like this to my master, who is the Lord’s anointed—that I would stretch out my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed.” ⁷ With these words David restrained his men and did not allow them to attack Saul.

Saul got up, left the cave, and went on his way. ⁸ David got up and followed him out of the cave and shouted to him, “My lord the king!”

When Saul looked back at him, David bowed facedown to the ground to show respect. ⁹ David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of people who say, ‘Watch out! David is seeking to harm you’? ¹⁰ This very day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you, because I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my master, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ Take a look at this! My father, take a good look at the piece of your robe that is here in my hand. Because I cut off the edge of your robe but did not kill you, you can be sure that I do not have any evil intent and I am not rebelling. I have not sinned against you, even though you keep hunting for me to take my life. ¹² May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord avenge me on you, but my hand will not be against you. ¹³ As the ancient proverb says, ‘Out of the wicked come wicked deeds,’ but my hand will not be against you. ¹⁴ Against whom has the king of Israel come out? What are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? ¹⁵ May the Lord, therefore, be the judge who renders a verdict between you and me. May he examine my case, plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.”

¹⁶ When David had finished speaking these words, Saul responded, “Is that your voice, David, my son?” Saul broke down and wept. ¹⁷ He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. ¹⁸ You have made it clear today how you have been good to me, because when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. ¹⁹ If a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? May the Lord reward you with good for what you have done for me today. ²⁰ Now I know without a doubt that you will become king, and that the kingship over Israel will be established in your hand. ²¹ So swear to me now by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.”

²² David promised this to Saul with an oath.

Saul went back home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.