1Or vennero a dire a Davide: "Ecco, i Filistei hanno attaccato Keila e saccheggiano le aie". 2E Davide consultò l’Eterno, dicendo: "Andrò io a sconfiggere questi Filistei?" L’Eterno rispose a Davide: "Va’, sconfiggi i Filistei, e salva Keila". 3Ma la gente di Davide gli disse: "Tu vedi che qui in Giuda abbiam paura; e che sarà se andiamo a Keila contro le schiere de’ Filistei?" 4Davide consultò di nuovo l’Eterno, e l’Eterno gli rispose e gli disse: "Lèvati, scendi a Keila, perché io darò i Filistei nelle tue mani". 5Davide dunque andò con la sua gente a Keila, combatté contro i Filistei, portò via il loro bestiame, e inflisse loro una grande sconfitta. Così Davide liberò gli abitanti di Keila. 6Quando Abiathar, figliuolo di Ahimelec, si rifugiò presso Davide a Keila, portò seco l’efod. 7Saul fu informato che Davide era giunto a Keila. E Saul disse: "Iddio lo dà nelle mie mani, poiché è venuto a rinchiudersi in una città che ha porte e sbarre". 8Saul dunque convocò tutto il popolo per andare alla guerra, per scendere a Keila e cinger d’assedio Davide e la sua gente. 9Ma Davide, avuta conoscenza che Saul gli macchinava del male, disse al sacerdote Abiathar: "Porta qua l’efod". 10Poi disse: "O Eterno, Dio d’Israele, il tuo servo ha sentito come cosa certa che Saul cerca di venire a Keila per distruggere la città per causa mia. 11Quei di Keila mi daranno essi nelle sue mani? Saul scenderà egli come il tuo servo ha sentito dire? O Eterno, Dio d’Israele, deh! fallo sapere al tuo servo!" L’Eterno rispose: "Scenderà". 12Davide chiese ancora: "Quei di Keila daranno essi me e la mia gente nelle mani di Saul?" L’Eterno rispose: "Vi daranno nelle sue mani". 13Allora Davide e la sua gente, circa seicento uomini, si levarono, uscirono da Keila e andaron qua e là a caso; e Saul informato che Davide era fuggito da Keila, rinunziò alla sua spedizione. 14Davide rimase nel deserto in luoghi forti; e se ne stette nella contrada montuosa del deserto di Zif. Saul lo cercava continuamente, ma Dio non glielo dette nelle mani. 15E Davide sapendo che Saul s’era mosso per torgli la vita, restò nel deserto di Zif, nella foresta. 16Allora Gionathan, figliuolo di Saul, si levò, e si recò da Davide nella foresta. Egli fortificò la sua fiducia in Dio, 17e gli disse: "Non temere, poiché Saul, mio padre, non riuscirà a metterti le mani addosso: tu regnerai sopra Israele, e io sarò il secondo dopo di te; e ben lo sa anche Saul mio padre". 18E i due fecero alleanza in presenza dell’Eterno; poi Davide rimase nella foresta, e Gionathan se ne andò a casa sua. 19Or gli Zifei salirono da Saul a Ghibea e gli dissero: "Davide non sta egli nascosto fra noi, ne’ luoghi forti della foresta, sul colle di Hakila che è a mezzogiorno del deserto? 20Scendi dunque, o re, giacché tutto il desiderio dell’anima tua e di scendere, e penserem noi a darlo nelle mani del re". 21Saul disse: "Siate benedetti dall’Eterno, voi che avete pietà di me! 22Andate, vi prego, informatevi anche più sicuramente per sapere e scoprire il luogo dove suol fermarsi, e chi l’abbia quivi veduto; poiché mi si dice ch’egli è molto astuto. 23E vedete di conoscere tutti i nascondigli dov’ei si ritira; poi tornate da me con notizie sicure, e io andrò con voi. S’egli è nel paese, io lo cercherò fra tutte le migliaia di Giuda". 24Quelli dunque si levarono e se n’andarono a Zif, innanzi a Saul; ma Davide e i suoi erano nel deserto di Maon, nella pianura a mezzogiorno del deserto. 25Saul con la sua gente partì in cerca di lui; ma Davide, che ne fu informato, scese dalla roccia e rimase nel deserto di Maon. E quando Saul lo seppe, andò in traccia di Davide nel deserto di Maon. 26Saul camminava da un lato del monte, e Davide con la sua gente dall’altro lato; e come Davide affrettava la marcia per sfuggire a Saul e Saul e la sua gente stavano per circondare Davide e i suoi per impadronirsene, 27arrivò a Saul un messo che disse: "Affrettati a venire, perché i Filistei hanno invaso il paese". 28Così Saul cessò d’inseguire Davide e andò a far fronte ai Filistei; perciò a quel luogo fu messo nome Sela-Hammahlekoth. 29(H24-1) Poi Davide si partì di là e si stabilì nei luoghi forti di En-Ghedi.
1David was told, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2Therefore David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” Yahweh said to David, “Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.” 3David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4Then David inquired of Yahweh yet again. Yahweh answered him, and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” 5David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7It was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.” 8Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10Then David said, “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant.” Yahweh said, “He will come down.” 12Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” Yahweh said, “They will deliver you up.” 13Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. It was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he gave up going there. 14David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand. 15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood. 16Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose, and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God. 17He said to him, “Don’t be afraid; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; and that also Saul my father knows.” 18They both made a covenant before Yahweh: and David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his house. 19Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? 20Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.” 21Saul said, “You are blessed by Yahweh; for you have had compassion on me. 22Please go make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for it is told me that he deals very subtly. 23See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself, and come again to me with certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” 24They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert. 25Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told, 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. 26Saul 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 surrounded David and his men to take them. 27But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land!” 28So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth. 29David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
1En men boodschapte David, zeggende: Zie, de Filistijnen strijden tegen Kehila, en zij beroven de schuren. 2En David vraagde den HEERE, zeggende: Zal ik heengaan en deze Filistijnen slaan? En de HEERE zeide tot David: Ga heen, en gij zult de Filistijnen slaan en Kehila verlossen. 3Doch de mannen Davids zeiden tot hem: Zie, wij vrezen hier in Juda; hoeveel te meer, als wij naar Kehila tegen der Filistijnen slagorden gaan zullen. 4Toen vraagde David den HEERE nog verder; en de HEERE antwoordde hem en zeide: Maak u op, trek af naar Kehila; want Ik geef de Filistijnen in uw hand. 5Alzo toog David en zijn mannen naar Kehila, en hij streed tegen de Filistijnen, en dreef hun vee weg, en hij sloeg onder hen een groten slag; alzo verloste David de inwoners van Kehila. 6En het geschiedde, toen Abjathar, de zoon van Achimelech, tot David vluchtte naar Kehila, dat hij afkwam met den efod in zijn hand. 7Als aan Saul te kennen gegeven werd, dat David te Kehila gekomen was, zo zeide Saul: God heeft hem in mijn hand overgegeven, want hij is besloten, komende in een stad met poorten en grendelen. 8Toen liet Saul al het volk ten strijde roepen, dat zij aftogen naar Kehila, om David en zijn mannen te belegeren. 9Als nu David verstond, dat Saul dit kwaad tegen hem heimelijk voorhad, zeide hij tot den priester Abjathar: Breng den efod herwaarts. 10En David zeide: HEERE, God van Israel! Uw knecht heeft zekerlijk gehoord, dat Saul zoekt naar Kehila te komen, en de stad te verderven om mijnentwil. 11Zullen mij ook de burgers van Kehila in zijn hand overgeven? Zal Saul afkomen, gelijk als Uw knecht gehoord heeft? O HEERE, God van Israel, geef het toch Uw knecht te kennen! De HEERE nu zeide: Hij zal afkomen. 12Daarna zeide David: Zouden de burgers van Kehila mij en mijn mannen overgeven in de hand van Saul? En de HEERE zeide: Zij zouden u overgeven. 13Toen maakte zich David en zijn mannen op, omtrent zeshonderd man, en zij gingen uit Kehila, en zij gingen heen, waar zij konden gaan. Toen aan Saul geboodschapt werd, dat David uit Kehila ontkomen was, zo hield hij op uit te trekken. 14David nu bleef in de woestijn in de vestingen, en hij bleef op den berg in de woestijn Zif; en Saul zocht hem alle dagen, doch God gaf hem niet over in zijn hand. 15Als David zag, dat Saul uitgetogen was, om zijn ziel te zoeken, zo was David in de woestijn Zif in een woud. 16Toen maakte zich Jonathan, de zoon van Saul, op, en hij ging tot David in het woud; en hij versterkte zijn hand in God. 17En hij zeide tot hem: Vrees niet, want de hand van Saul, mijn vader, zal u niet vinden, maar gij zult koning worden over Israel, en ik zal de tweede bij u zijn; ook weet mijn vader Saul zulks wel. 18En die beiden maakten een verbond voor het aangezicht des HEEREN; en David bleef in het woud, maar Jonathan ging naar zijn huis. 19Toen togen de Zifieten op tot Saul naar Gibea, zeggende: Heeft zich niet David bij ons verborgen in de vestingen in het woud, op den heuvel van Hachila, die aan de rechterhand der wildernis is? 20Nu dan, o koning, kom spoedig af naar al de begeerte uwer ziel; en het komt ons toe hem over te geven in de hand des konings. 21Toen zeide Saul: Gezegend zijt gijlieden den HEERE, dat gij u over mij ontfermd hebt! 22Gaat toch heen, en bereidt de zaak nog meer, dat gij weet en beziet zijn plaats, waar zijn gang is, wie hem daar gezien heeft; want hij heeft tot mij gezegd, dat hij zeer listiglijk pleegt te handelen. 23Daarom ziet toe, en verneemt naar alle schuilplaatsen, in dewelke hij schuilt; komt dan weder tot mij met vast bescheid, zo zal ik met ulieden gaan; en het zal geschieden, zo hij in het land is, zo zal ik hem naspeuren onder alle duizenden van Juda. 24Toen maakten zij zich op, en zij gingen naar Zif voor het aangezicht van Saul. David nu en zijn mannen waren in de woestijn van Maon, in het vlakke veld, aan de rechterhand der wildernis. 25Saul en zijn mannen gingen ook om te zoeken. Dat werd David geboodschapt, die van dien rotssteen afgegaan was, en bleef in de woestijn van Maon. Toen Saul dat hoorde, jaagde hij David na in de woestijn van Maon. 26En Saul ging aan deze zijde des bergs, en David en zijn mannen aan gene zijde des bergs. Het geschiedde nu, dat zich David haastte, om te ontgaan van het aangezicht van Saul; en Saul en zijn mannen omsingelden David en zijn mannen, om die te grijpen. 27Doch daar kwam een bode tot Saul, zeggende: Haast u, en kom, want de Filistijnen zijn in het land gevallen. 28Toen keerde zich Saul van David na te jagen, en hij toog den Filistijnen tegemoet; daarom noemde men die plaats Sela-Machlekoth.
La numerazione dei versetti segue la traduzione scelta e in alcuni capitoli può differire di un versetto.