I - Chapter 23

1David was told: “The Philistines are raiding Keilah and plundering the threshing floors.”

אוַיַּגִּדוּ לְדָוִד לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה פְלִשְׁתִּים נִלְחָמִים בִּקְעִילָה וְהֵמָּה שֹׁסִים אֶת־הַגֳּרָנוֹת׃

2David consulted Hashem, “Shall I go and attack those Philistines?” And Hashem said to David, “Go; attack the Philistines and you will save Keilah.”

בוַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּיהֹוָה לֵאמֹר הַאֵלֵךְ וְהִכֵּיתִי בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים הָאֵלֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־דָּוִד לֵךְ וְהִכִּיתָ בַפְּלִשְׁתִּים וְהוֹשַׁעְתָּ אֶת־קְעִילָה׃

3But David's men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Yehuda, how much more if we go to Keilah against the forces of the Philistines!”

גוַיֹּאמְרוּ אַנְשֵׁי דָוִד אֵלָיו הִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ פֹה בִּיהוּדָה יְרֵאִים וְאַף כִּי־נֵלֵךְ קְעִלָה אֶל־מַעַרְכוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים׃

4So David consulted Hashem again, and Hashem answered him, “March down at once to Keilah, for I am going to deliver the Philistines into your hands.”

דוַיּוֹסֶף עוֹד דָּוִד לִשְׁאֹל בַּיהֹוָה וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ יְהֹוָה וַיֹּאמֶר קוּם רֵד קְעִילָה כִּי־אֲנִי נֹתֵן אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּים בְּיָדֶךָ׃

5David and his men went to Keilah and fought against the Philistines; he drove off their cattle and inflicted a severe defeat on them. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

הוַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד ואנשו [וַאֲנָשָׁיו] קְעִילָה וַיִּלָּחֶם בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּנְהַג אֶת־מִקְנֵיהֶם וַיַּךְ בָּהֶם מַכָּה גְדוֹלָה וַיֹּשַׁע דָּוִד אֵת יֹשְׁבֵי קְעִילָה׃

6When Evyatar son of Achimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought down an ephod with him.

ווַיְהִי בִּבְרֹחַ אֶבְיָתָר בֶּן־אֲחִימֶלֶךְ אֶל־דָּוִד קְעִילָה אֵפוֹד יָרַד בְּיָדוֹ׃

7Shaul was told that David had come to Keilah, and Shaul thought, “Hashem has delivered him into my hands, for he has shut himself in by entering a town with gates and bars.”

זוַיֻּגַּד לְשָׁאוּל כִּי־בָא דָוִד קְעִילָה וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל נִכַּר אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים בְּיָדִי כִּי נִסְגַּר לָבוֹא בְּעִיר דְּלָתַיִם וּבְרִיחַ׃

8Shaul summoned all the troops for war, to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

חוַיְשַׁמַּע שָׁאוּל אֶת־כָּל־הָעָם לַמִּלְחָמָה לָרֶדֶת קְעִילָה לָצוּר אֶל־דָּוִד וְאֶל־אֲנָשָׁיו׃

9When David learned that Shaul was planning to harm him, he told the Kohen Evyatar to bring the ephod forward.

טוַיֵּדַע דָּוִד כִּי עָלָיו שָׁאוּל מַחֲרִישׁ הָרָעָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֵן הַגִּישָׁה הָאֵפוֹד׃

10And David said, “Hashem, God of Yisrael, Your servant has heard that Shaul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.

יוַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׁמֹעַ שָׁמַע עַבְדְּךָ כִּי־מְבַקֵּשׁ שָׁאוּל לָבוֹא אֶל־קְעִילָה לְשַׁחֵת לָעִיר בַּעֲבוּרִי׃

11Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me into his hands? Will Shaul come down, as Your servant has heard? Hashem, God of Yisrael, tell Your servant!” And Hashem said, “He will.”

יאהֲיַסְגִּרֻנִי בַעֲלֵי קְעִילָה בְיָדוֹ הֲיֵרֵד שָׁאוּל כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע עַבְדֶּךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַגֶּד־נָא לְעַבְדֶּךָ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה יֵרֵד׃

12David continued, “Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me and my men into Shaul's hands?” And Hashem answered, “They will.”

יבוַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד הֲיַסְגִּרוּ בַּעֲלֵי קְעִילָה אֹתִי וְאֶת־אֲנָשַׁי בְּיַד־שָׁאוּל וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה יַסְגִּירוּ׃

13So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah at once and moved about wherever they could. And when Shaul was told that David had got away from Keilah, he did not set out.

יגוַיָּקָם דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו כְּשֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וַיֵּצְאוּ מִקְּעִלָה וַיִּתְהַלְּכוּ בַּאֲשֶׁר יִתְהַלָּכוּ וּלְשָׁאוּל הֻגַּד כִּי־נִמְלַט דָּוִד מִקְּעִילָה וַיֶּחְדַּל לָצֵאת׃

14David was staying in the strongholds of the wilderness [of Yehuda]; he stayed in the hill country, in the wilderness of Ziph. Shaul searched for him constantly, but Hashem did not deliver him into his hands.

ידוַיֵּשֶׁב דָּוִד בַּמִּדְבָּר בַּמְּצָדוֹת וַיֵּשֶׁב בָּהָר בְּמִדְבַּר־זִיף וַיְבַקְשֵׁהוּ שָׁאוּל כָּל־הַיָּמִים וְלֹא־נְתָנוֹ אֱלֹהִים בְּיָדוֹ׃

15David was once at Horesh in the wilderness of Ziph, when David learned that Shaul had come out to seek his life.

טווַיַּרְא דָוִד כִּי־יָצָא שָׁאוּל לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ וְדָוִד בְּמִדְבַּר־זִיף בַּחֹרְשָׁה׃

16And Shaul's son Yehonatan came to David at Horesh and encouraged him in [the name of] Hashem.

טזוַיָּקָם יְהוֹנָתָן בֶּן־שָׁאוּל וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־דָּוִד חֹרְשָׁה וַיְחַזֵּק אֶת־יָדוֹ בֵּאלֹהִים׃

17He said to him, “Do not be afraid: the hand of my father Shaul will never touch you. You are going to be king over Yisrael and I shall be second to you; and even my father Shaul knows this is so.”

va-YO-mer ay-LAV al tee-RA KEE LO tim-tza-a-KHA yad sha-UL a-VEE v'-a-TAH tim-LOKH al yis-ra-AYL v'-a-no-KHEE eh-yeh l'-KHA l'-mish-NEH v'-GAM sha-UL a-VEE yo-DAY-a KAYN

יזוַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַל־תִּירָא כִּי לֹא תִמְצָאֲךָ יַד שָׁאוּל אָבִי וְאַתָּה תִּמְלֹךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה־לְּךָ לְמִשְׁנֶה וְגַם־שָׁאוּל אָבִי יֹדֵעַ כֵּן׃

18And the two of them entered into a pact before Hashem. David remained in Horesh, and Yehonatan went home.

יחוַיִּכְרְתוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם בְּרִית לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וַיֵּשֶׁב דָּוִד בַּחֹרְשָׁה וִיהוֹנָתָן הָלַךְ לְבֵיתוֹ׃

19Some Ziphites went up to Shaul in Giva and said, “David is hiding among us in the strongholds of Horesh, at the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon.

יטוַיַּעֲלוּ זִפִים אֶל־שָׁאוּל הַגִּבְעָתָה לֵאמֹר הֲלוֹא דָוִד מִסְתַּתֵּר עִמָּנוּ בַמְּצָדוֹת בַּחֹרְשָׁה בְּגִבְעַת הַחֲכִילָה אֲשֶׁר מִימִין הַיְשִׁימוֹן׃

20So if Your Majesty has the desire to come down, come down, and it will be our task to deliver him into Your Majesty's hands.”

כוְעַתָּה לְכָל־אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ לָרֶדֶת רֵד וְלָנוּ הַסְגִּירוֹ בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

21And Shaul replied, “May you be blessed of Hashem for the compassion you have shown me!

כאוַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל בְּרוּכִים אַתֶּם לַיהֹוָה כִּי חֲמַלְתֶּם עָלָי׃

22Go now and prepare further. Look around and learn what places he sets foot on [and] who has seen him there, for I have been told he is a very cunning fellow.

כבלְכוּ־נָא הָכִינוּ עוֹד וּדְעוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת־מְקוֹמוֹ אֲשֶׁר תִּהְיֶה רַגְלוֹ מִי רָאָהוּ שָׁם כִּי אָמַר אֵלַי עָרוֹם יַעְרִם הוּא׃

23Look around and learn in which of all his hiding places he has been hiding, and return to me when you are certain. I will then go with you, and if he is in the region, I will search him out among all the clans of Yehuda.”

כגוּרְאוּ וּדְעוּ מִכֹּל הַמַּחֲבֹאִים אֲשֶׁר יִתְחַבֵּא שָׁם וְשַׁבְתֶּם אֵלַי אֶל־נָכוֹן וְהָלַכְתִּי אִתְּכֶם וְהָיָה אִם־יֶשְׁנוֹ בָאָרֶץ וְחִפַּשְׂתִּי אֹתוֹ בְּכֹל אַלְפֵי יְהוּדָה׃

24They left at once for Ziph, ahead of Shaul; David and his men were then in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah, to the south of Jeshimon.

כדוַיָּקוּמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ זִיפָה לִפְנֵי שָׁאוּל וְדָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו בְּמִדְבַּר מָעוֹן בָּעֲרָבָה אֶל יְמִין הַיְשִׁימוֹן׃

25When Shaul and his men came to search, David was told about it; and he went down to the rocky region and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. On hearing this, Shaul pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.

כהוַיֵּלֶךְ שָׁאוּל וַאֲנָשָׁיו לְבַקֵּשׁ וַיַּגִּדוּ לְדָוִד וַיֵּרֶד הַסֶּלַע וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּמִדְבַּר מָעוֹן וַיִּשְׁמַע שָׁאוּל וַיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי־דָוִד מִדְבַּר מָעוֹן׃

26Shaul was making his way along one side of a hill, and David and his men were on the other side of the hill. David was trying hard to elude Shaul, and Shaul and his men were trying to encircle David and his men and capture them,

כווַיֵּלֶךְ שָׁאוּל מִצַּד הָהָר מִזֶּה וְדָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו מִצַּד הָהָר מִזֶּה וַיְהִי דָוִד נֶחְפָּז לָלֶכֶת מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל וְשָׁאוּל וַאֲנָשָׁיו עֹטְרִים אֶל־דָּוִד וְאֶל־אֲנָשָׁיו לְתָפְשָׂם׃

27when a messenger came and told Shaul, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have invaded the land.”

כזוּמַלְאָךְ בָּא אֶל־שָׁאוּל לֵאמֹר מַהֲרָה וְלֵכָה כִּי־פָשְׁטוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃

28Shaul gave up his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place came to be called the Rock of Separation.

כחוַיָּשָׁב שָׁאוּל מִרְדֹף אַחֲרֵי דָוִד וַיֵּלֶךְ לִקְרַאת פְּלִשְׁתִּים עַל־כֵּן קָרְאוּ לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא סֶלַע הַמַּחְלְקוֹת׃