1And they told David, saying, “Behold, the P’listhim are fighting against Ke’ilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.” 2Therefore David inquired of יהוה , saying, “Shall I go and smite these P’listhim?” And יהוה said unto David, “Go, and smite the P’listhim, and save Ke’ilah.” 3And David’s men said unto him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Yehudah; how much more then if we go to Ke’ilah against the armies of the P’listhim?”
4Then David inquired of יהוה yet again. And יהוה answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Ke’ilah; for I will deliver the P’listhim into your hand.” 5And David and his men went to Ke’ilah, and fought with the P’listhim, and brought away their cattle, and slew them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Ke’ilah.
6And it came to pass, when Evyatar Ben Akhimelekh fled to David to Ke’ilah, that he came down with an efod in his hand. 7And it was told Sha’ul that David was come to Ke’ilah. And Sha’ul said, “God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.” 8And Sha’ul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Ke’ilah, to besiege David and his men. 9And David knew that Sha’ul devised mischief against him; and he said to Evyatar the kohen, “Bring the efod here.”
10Then said David, “O יהוה Elohei Yisra’el, Your servant has surely heard that Sha’ul seeks to come to Ke’ilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11Will the men of Ke’ilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Sha’ul come down, as Your servant has heard?” O יהוה Elohei Yisra’el, I beseech You, tell Your servant.”
And יהוה said, “He will come down.” 12Then said David, “Will the men of Ke’ilah deliver up me with my men into the hand of Sha’ul?” And יהוה said, “They will deliver you up.”
13Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Ke’ilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told Sha’ul that David was escaped from Ke’ilah; and he forbore to go forth. 14And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Zif. And Sha’ul sought him every day, but Elohim delivered him not into his hand. 15And David saw that Sha’ul was come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Zif in the wood.
16And Yehonatan Ben Sha’ul arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in Elohim. 17And he said unto him, “Fear not; for the hand of Sha’ul my father shall not find you; and you shall be Melekh over Yisra’el, and I shall be next unto you; and that also Sha’ul my father knows.” 18And they two made a covenant before יהוה ; and David abode in the wood, and Yehonatan went to his house.
19Then came up the Zifim to Sha’ul to Givah, saying, “Does not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Khakhilah, which is on the south of Yeshimon? 20Now therefore, O Melekh, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the hand of HaMelekh.” 21And Sha’ul said, “Blessed of יהוה are you; for you have had compassion on me. 22Go, I pray, 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 back to me with the certainty, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Yehudah.” 24And they arose, and went to Zif before Sha’ul; but David and his men were in the wilderness of Ma’on, in the Aravah on the south of Yeshimon. 25And Sha’ul and his men went to seek him. And they told David, therefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Ma’on. And when Sha’ul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Ma’on. 26And Sha’ul 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 Sha’ul; for Sha’ul and his men encompassed David and his men round about to take them. 27But there came a messenger unto Sha’ul, saying, “Hurry, and come; for the P’listhim have made a raid upon the land.” 28So Sha’ul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the P’listhim; therefore they called that place “Selah HaMakhlekot”. 29And David went up from there, and dwelt in the strongholds of Ein Gedi.
אוַיַּגִּדוּ לְדָוִד לֵאמֹר: הִנֵּה פְלִשְׁתִּים נִלְחָמִים בִּקְעִילָה וְהֵמָּה שֹׁסִים אֶת הַגֳּרָנוֹת. בוַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּיהוה לֵאמֹר הַאֵלֵךְ וְהִכֵּיתִי בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים הָאֵלֶּה; וַיֹּאמֶר יהוה אֶל דָּוִד לֵךְ וְהִכִּיתָ בַפְּלִשְׁתִּים וְהוֹשַׁעְתָּ אֶת קְעִילָה. גוַיֹּאמְרוּ אַנְשֵׁי דָוִד אֵלָיו הִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ פֹה בִּיהוּדָה יְרֵאִים; וְאַף כִּי נֵלֵךְ קְעִלָה אֶל מַעַרְכוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים.
דוַיּוֹסֶף עוֹד דָּוִד לִשְׁאוֹל בַּיהוה וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ יהוה ; וַיֹּאמֶר קוּם רֵד קְעִילָה כִּי אֲנִי נֹתֵן אֶת פְּלִשְׁתִּים בְּיָדֶךָ. הוַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁו קְעִילָה וַיִּלָּחֶם בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּנְהַג אֶת מִקְנֵיהֶם וַיַּךְ בָּהֶם מַכָּה גְדוֹלָה; וַיֹּשַׁע דָּוִד אֵת יֹשְׁבֵי קְעִילָה.
ווַיְהִי בִּבְרֹחַ אֶבְיָתָר בֶּן אֲחִימֶלֶךְ אֶל דָּוִד קְעִילָה; אֵפוֹד יָרַד בְּיָדוֹ. זוַיֻּגַּד לְשָׁאוּל כִּי בָא דָוִד קְעִילָה; וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל נִכַּר אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים בְּיָדִי כִּי נִסְגַּר לָבוֹא בְּעִיר דְּלָתַיִם וּבְרִיחַ. חוַיְשַׁמַּע שָׁאוּל אֶת כָּל הָעָם לַמִּלְחָמָה לָרֶדֶת קְעִילָה לָצוּר אֶל דָּוִד וְאֶל אֲנָשָׁיו. טוַיֵּדַע דָּוִד כִּי עָלָיו שָׁאוּל מַחֲרִישׁ הָרָעָה; וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֵן הַגִּישָׁה הָאֵפוֹד.
יוַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד יהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׁמֹעַ שָׁמַע עַבְדְּךָ כִּי מְבַקֵּשׁ שָׁאוּל לָבוֹא אֶל קְעִילָה לְשַׁחֵת לָעִיר בַּעֲבוּרִי. יאהֲיַסְגִּרֻנִי בַעֲלֵי קְעִילָה בְיָדוֹ הֲיֵרֵד שָׁאוּל כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע עַבְדֶּךָ יהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַגֶּד נָא לְעַבְדֶּךָ.
וַיֹּאמֶר יהוה יֵרֵד. יבוַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד הֲיַסְגִּרוּ בַּעֲלֵי קְעִילָה אֹתִי וְאֶת אֲנָשַׁי בְּיַד שָׁאוּל; וַיֹּאמֶר יהוה יַסְגִּירוּ.
יגוַיָּקָם דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו כְּשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וַיֵּצְאוּ מִקְּעִלָה וַיִּתְהַלְּכוּ בַּאֲשֶׁר יִתְהַלָּכוּ; וּלְשָׁאוּל הֻגַּד כִּי נִמְלַט דָּוִד מִקְּעִילָה וַיֶּחְדַּל לָצֵאת. ידוַיֵּשֶׁב דָּוִד בַּמִּדְבָּר בַּמְּצָדוֹת וַיֵּשֶׁב בָּהָר בְּמִדְבַּר זִיף; וַיְבַקְשֵׁהוּ שָׁאוּל כָּל הַיָּמִים וְלֹא נְתָנוֹ אֱלֹהִים בְּיָדוֹ. טווַיַּרְא דָּוִד כִּי יָצָא שָׁאוּל לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ; וְדָוִד בְּמִדְבַּר זִיף בַּחֹרְשָׁה.
טזוַיָּקָם יְהוֹנָתָן בֶּן שָׁאוּל וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל דָּוִד חֹרְשָׁה; וַיְחַזֵּק אֶת יָדוֹ בֵּאלֹהִים. יזוַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַל תִּירָא כִּי לֹא תִמְצָאֲךָ יַד שָׁאוּל אָבִי וְאַתָּה תִּמְלֹךְ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה לְּךָ לְמִשְׁנֶה; וְגַם שָׁאוּל אָבִי יֹדֵעַ כֵּן. יחוַיִּכְרְתוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם בְּרִית לִפְנֵי יהוה ; וַיֵּשֶׁב דָּוִד בַּחֹרְשָׁה וִיהוֹנָתָן הָלַךְ לְבֵיתוֹ.
יטוַיַּעֲלוּ זִפִים אֶל שָׁאוּל הַגִּבְעָתָה לֵאמֹר: הֲלוֹא דָוִד מִסְתַּתֵּר עִמָּנוּ בַמְּצָדוֹת בַּחֹרְשָׁה בְּגִבְעַת הַחֲכִילָה אֲשֶׁר מִימִין הַיְשִׁימוֹן. כוְעַתָּה לְכָל אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ לָרֶדֶת רֵד; וְלָנוּ הַסְגִּירוֹ בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ. כאוַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל בְּרוּכִים אַתֶּם לַיהוה : כִּי חֲמַלְתֶּם עָלָי. כבלְכוּ נָא הָכִינוּ עוֹד וּדְעוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת מְקוֹמוֹ אֲשֶׁר תִּהְיֶה רַגְלוֹ מִי רָאָהוּ שָׁם: כִּי אָמַר אֵלַי עָרוֹם יַעְרִם הוּא. כגוּרְאוּ וּדְעוּ מִכֹּל הַמַּחֲבֹאִים אֲשֶׁר יִתְחַבֵּא שָׁם וְשַׁבְתֶּם אֵלַי אֶל נָכוֹן וְהָלַכְתִּי אִתְּכֶם; וְהָיָה אִם יֶשְׁנוֹ בָאָרֶץ וְחִפַּשְׂתִּי אֹתוֹ בְּכֹל אַלְפֵי יְהוּדָה. כדוַיָּקוּמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ זִיפָה לִפְנֵי שָׁאוּל; וְדָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו בְּמִדְבַּר מָעוֹן בָּעֲרָבָה אֶל יְמִין הַיְשִׁימוֹן. כהוַיֵּלֶךְ שָׁאוּל וַאֲנָשָׁיו לְבַקֵּשׁ וַיַּגִּדוּ לְדָוִד וַיֵּרֶד הַסֶּלַע וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּמִדְבַּר מָעוֹן; וַיִּשְׁמַע שָׁאוּל וַיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי דָוִד מִדְבַּר מָעוֹן. כווַיֵּלֶךְ שָׁאוּל מִצַּד הָהָר מִזֶּה וְדָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו מִצַּד הָהָר מִזֶּה; וַיְהִי דָוִד נֶחְפָּז לָלֶכֶת מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל וְשָׁאוּל וַאֲנָשָׁיו עֹטְרִים אֶל דָּוִד וְאֶל אֲנָשָׁיו לְתָפְשָׂם. כזוּמַלְאָךְ בָּא אֶל שָׁאוּל לֵאמֹר: מַהֲרָה וְלֵכָה כִּי פָשְׁטוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים עַל הָאָרֶץ. כחוַיָּשָׁב שָׁאוּל מִרְדֹף אַחֲרֵי דָוִד וַיֵּלֶךְ לִקְרַאת פְּלִשְׁתִּים; עַל כֵּן קָרְאוּ לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא סֶלַע הַמַּחְלְקוֹת. כטוַיַּעַל דָּוִד מִשָּׁם; וַיֵּשֶׁב בִּמְצָדוֹת עֵין גֶּדִי.