1
And they declared to Daviyd, saying, “See, the Pelishtim are fighting against Qeilah, and they are plundering the threshing floors.”
2
And Daviyd asked of Yahuah, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Pelishtim?” And Yahuah said to Daviyd, “Go and strike the Pelishtim, and save Qeilah.”
3
And the men of Daviyd said to him, “See, we are afraid here in Yehudah. How much more if we go to Qeilah against the battle lines of the Pelishtim?”
4
And Daviyd again asked of Yahuah. And Yahuah answered him and said, “Rise, go down to Qeilah, for I am giving the Pelishtim into your hand.”
5
And Daviyd and his men went to Qeilah and fought against the Pelishtim, and drove away their livestock, and struck them with a great slaughter. And Daviyd saved the inhabitants of Qeilah.
6
And it came to pass, when Evyatar son of Achimelekh fled to Daviyd at Qeilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.
7
And it was declared to Shaul that Daviyd had come to Qeilah. And Shaul said, “Elohim has shut him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a city with doors and bars.”
8
And Shaul called together all the people for war, to go down to Qeilah, to besiege Daviyd and his men.
9
And Daviyd knew that Shaul was devising evil against him, and he said to Evyatar the kohen, “Bring near the ephod.”
10
And Daviyd said, “Yahuah, Elohim of Yisra’el, hearing, Your servant has surely heard that Shaul seeks to come to Qeilah, to destroy the city because of me.
11
Will the masters of Qeilah give me into his hand? Will Shaul come down, according to what Your servant has heard? Yahuah, Elohim of Yisra’el, please declare to Your servant.” And Yahuah said, “He will come down.”
12
And Daviyd said, “Will the masters of Qeilah give me and my men into the hand of Shaul?” And Yahuah said, “They will give you.”
13
And Daviyd rose, he and his men, about six hundred ish, and they went out from Qeilah and walked wherever they could walk. And it was declared to Shaul that Daviyd had escaped from Qeilah, and he ceased to go out.
14
And Daviyd dwelt in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and dwelt in the hill country in the wilderness of Zif. And Shaul sought him all the days, but Elohim did not give him into his hand.
15
And Daviyd saw that Shaul had gone out to seek his being. And Daviyd was in the wilderness of Zif at Choresh.
16
And Yonatan son of Shaul rose and went to Daviyd at Choresh, and strengthened his hand in Elohim.
17
And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Shaul my father shall not find you. And you shall reign over Yisra’el, and I shall be second to you. And Shaul my father also knows this.”
18
And the two of them cut a covenant before Yahuah. And Daviyd remained at Choresh, and Yonatan went to his house.
19
And the Zifim went up to Shaul at Givah, saying, “Is not Daviyd hiding himself with us in the strongholds at Choresh, on the hill of Chakhilah, which is south of the wilderness?
20
And now, according to all the desire of your being, O king, to come down, come down. And it shall be for us to give him into the hand of the king.”
21
And Shaul said, “Blessed are you of Yahuah, for you have had compassion upon me.
22
Go, please, prepare still more, and know and see his place where his foot is, who has seen him there, for it has been said to me that cunning, he is exceedingly cunning.
23
And see and know all the hiding places where he hides himself, and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Yehudah.”
24
And they rose and went to Zif before Shaul. And Daviyd and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah south of the wilderness.
25
And Shaul and his men went to seek him, and they declared it to Daviyd. And he went down to the rock and remained in the wilderness of Maon. And Shaul heard and pursued after Daviyd in the wilderness of Maon.
26
And Shaul went on one side of the mountain, and Daviyd and his men on the other side of the mountain. And Daviyd hurried to go from before the face of Shaul, while Shaul and his men were surrounding Daviyd and his men to seize them.
27
And a messenger came to Shaul, saying, “Hurry and go, for the Pelishtim have spread themselves out against the land.”
28
And Shaul returned from pursuing after Daviyd and went to meet the Pelishtim. Therefore they called the name of that place Sela-HaMachleqot.
29
And Daviyd went up from there and dwelt in the strongholds of Ein-Gedi.