1 Samuel 23

All 29 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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1. 1Someone brought David the news: "The Philistines are attacking Keilah and raiding the threshing floors."
2. 2David asked the LORD, "Should I go and fight these Philistines?" The LORD answered, "Go, attack the Philistines, and rescue Keilah."
3. 3But David's men told him, "We're already afraid here in Judah. How much worse will it be if we march to Keilah and take on the Philistine army?"
4. 4So David asked the LORD a second time. The LORD replied, "Get up and go to Keilah. I will hand the Philistines over to you."
5. 5David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines, took their livestock, and struck them down with a great slaughter. Thus, David saved the people of Keilah.
6. 6When Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.
7. 7When Saul learned that David had gone to Keilah, he said, "God has handed him over to me. He's trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars."
8. 8Saul called up his entire army to march down to Keilah and lay siege to David and his men.
9. 9David discovered that Saul was secretly scheming against him, so he told Abiathar the priest, 'Bring the ephod here.'
10. 10Then David prayed, "LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard for certain that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the city because of me."
11. 11"Will the people of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul actually come, as your servant has heard? LORD, God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant." The LORD answered, "He will come."
12. 12David asked again, "Will the people of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" The LORD said, "They will surrender you."
13. 13So David and his men — about 600 of them — left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul heard that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the attack.
14. 14David stayed in the wilderness, hiding in strongholds and in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul hunted for him every day, but God did not deliver David into Saul's hand.
15. 15David knew that Saul had come out to kill him. At the time, David was in the wilderness of Ziph, hiding in the woods.
16. 16Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David in the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
17. 17He told David, "Don't be afraid. My father Saul's hand will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you. My father Saul knows this too."
18. 18The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went home.
19. 19The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "David is hiding among us in the strongholds in the woods, on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon."
20. 20So now, O king, come down as you wish, and we will deliver him into your hands.
21. 21Saul said, "May the LORD bless you for showing compassion to me."
22. 22"Go and do more scouting. Find out exactly where he stays and who has spotted him there, because I've been told he's extremely clever."
23. 23Learn about all the hiding places where he hides, and return to me when you are certain. Then I will go with you. If he is anywhere in the land, I will search for him throughout all the thousands of Judah.
24. 24The Ziphites headed back to Ziph ahead of Saul. Meanwhile, David and his men had moved to the wilderness of Maon, in the open land south of Jeshimon.
25. 25Saul and his men set out to find David. When David got word of it, he moved down to a rocky area and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. As soon as Saul heard this, he chased David into the wilderness of Maon.
26. 26Saul was moving along one side of the mountain while David and his men were on the other side. David was rushing to get away, because Saul's forces were closing in, surrounding David and his men to capture them.
27. 27But just then, a messenger reached Saul with urgent news: "Come quickly! The Philistines have invaded the land!"
28. 28So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to fight the Philistines. That's why the place was called Sela Hammahlekoth.
29. 29David left there and went to live in the strongholds at En Gedi.