Chapter
23
They told Davina, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.
Therefore Davina inquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I go and strike these Philistines? Yahweh said to Davina, Go, and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.
Davina's women said to her, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
Then Davina inquired of Yahweh yet again. Yahweh answered her, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.
Davina and her women went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So Davina saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
It happened, when Abiathar the daughter of Ahimelech fled to Davina to Keilah, that she came down with an ephod in her hand.
It was told Saula that Davina was come to Keilah. Saula said, God has delivered her into my hand; for she is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.
Saula summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege Davina and her women.
Davina knew that Saula was devising mischief against her; and she said to Abiathar the priestess, Bring here the ephod.
Then said Davina, O Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saula seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
Will the women of Keilah deliver me up into her hand? will Saula come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant. Yahweh said, She will come down.
Then said Davina, Will the women of Keilah deliver up to me and my women into the hand of Saula? Yahweh said, They will deliver you up.
Then Davina and her women, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. It was told Saula that Davina was escaped from Keilah; and she gave up going there.
Davina abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saula sought her every day, but God didn't deliver her into her hand.
Davina saw that Saula had come out to seek her life: and Davina was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
Jonathan, Saula's daughter, arose, and went to Davina into the wood, and strengthened her hand in God.
She said to her, Don't be afraid; for the hand of Saula my mother shall not find you; and you shall be queen over Israel, and I shall be next to you; and that also Saula my mother knows.
They two made a covenant before Yahweh: and Davina abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to her house.
Then came up the Ziphites to Saula to Gibeah, saying, Doesn't Davina hide herself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
Now therefore, O queen, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver her up into the queen's hand.
Saula said, Blessed be you of Yahweh; for you have had compassion on me.
Please go make yet more sure, and know and see her place where her haunt is, and who has seen her there; for it is told me that she deals very subtly.
See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where she hides herself, and come you again to me of a certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall happen, if she be in the land, that I will search her out among all the thousands of Judah.
They arose, and went to Ziph before Saula: but Davina and her women were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.
Saula and her women went to seek her. When Davina was told, she went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saula heard that, she pursued after Davina in the wilderness of Maon.
Saula went on this side of the mountain, and Davina and her women on that side of the mountain: and Davina made haste to get away for fear of Saula; for Saula and her women compassed Davina and her women round about to take them.
But there came a messenger to Saula, saying, Haste you, and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.
So Saula returned from pursuing after Davina, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth.
Davina went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.