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          DASV: 1 Samuel 23    

1 They told David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against
Keilah, and are robbing grain from the threshing floors."
2 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack
these Philistines?" The LORD replied to David, "Go and attack
the Philistines, and save Keilah."
3 David's men objected, "We are afraid here in Judah. How much
more if we go to Keilah to fight against the armies of
the Philistines?"
4 Then David inquired of the LORD again. The LORD answered him,
"Get up, 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, and took their cattle, and slew them in a great
defeat. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 Now when Abiathar the son of Ahimelek fled to David at Keilah,
he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 Saul was told that David had come to Keilah. Saul concluded,
"God has delivered him into my hand; for he has trapped
himself, by entering into a town that has gates and bars."
8 Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah,
to besiege David and his men.

9 David knew that Saul was plotting against him; so he said
to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."
10 Then David asked, "O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant
has heard that Saul is planning to come against Keilah,
to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the people of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will
Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God
of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant." The LORD replied,
"He will come down."
12 Then said David, "Will the people of Keilah surrender me and
my men to the hand of Saul?" The LORD replied, "They will
deliver you up."
13 Then David and his men, about 600 of them, got up and left
Keilah, and wandered from place to place. It was told Saul
that David had escaped from Keilah so he gave up the expedition
there.
14 David stayed in the strongholds in the desert and the hill
country in the desert of Ziph. Saul sought him every day,
but God did not deliver him into his hand.
15 David learned that Saul had come out to seek his life,
while David was in the desert of Ziph at Horesh.

16 Jonathan, Saul's son, got up and went to David at Horesh,
and encouraged him in God.
17 He told him, "Do not be afraid for the hand of Saul my father
will not find you; and you will be king over Israel, and I will
be your second in command. Saul, my father, knows this too."
18 The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David
stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 Then some Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Isn't David
hiding with us in the strongholds at Horesh, in the hill of
Hakilah, south of Jeshimon?
20 Now, O king, come down whenever you want to and our part
will be to catch him and deliver him into the king's hand."
21 Saul replied, "May the LORD bless you; for you have had
compassion on me.
22 Go, make sure once again, that you know exactly where his
hideout is, and who has seen him there; for I am told he is
very cunning.
23 Look and take note of all his hiding places and come back
to me again once you're sure. Then I will go with you and
if he is in the land, I will track him down among all the
thousands of Judah."

24 So they got up and went to Ziph before Saul. But David
and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the Arabah
south of Jeshimon.
25 Saul and his men went to find him. When David was told,
he went down to the rock and stayed in the desert of Maon.
When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the desert of Maon.
26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his
men were on the other side. David was hurrying to get
away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in
on David and his men.
27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly,
for the Philistines have raided the land."
28 So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the
Philistines. That is why they call that place Sela
Hammahlekot [Rock of Escape].
29 David left there and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.

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