I Samuel 23

vayyaggidu ledavid lemor hinneh felishtim nilkhamim biqilah vehemmah shosim et-haggoranot

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

vayyishal david ba-Adonai lemor ha'elekh vehikketi bappelishtim ha'elleh vayyomer Adonai el-david lekh vehikkita vappelishtim vehoshata et-qe'ilah

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

vayyomeru anshe david elayw hinneh anakhnu foh bihudah yere'im ve'af ki-nelekh qe'ilah el-ma'arkhot pelishtim

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

vayyosef od david lishol ba-Adonai vayya'anehu Adonai vayyomer qum red qe'ilah ki-ani noten et-pelishtim beyadekha

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

vayyelekh david va'anashav qe'ilah vayyillakhem bappelishtim vayyinhag et-miqnehem vayyakh bahem makkah gedolah vayyosha david et yosheve qe'ilah

David 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.

vayehi bivroakh evyatar ben-akhimelekh el-david qe'ilah efod yarad beyado

When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought down an ephod with him.

vayyuggad lesha'ul ki-va david qe'ilah vayyomer sha'ul nikkar oto elohim beyadi ki nisgar lavo be'ir delatayim uveriakh

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

vayeshamma sha'ul et-kol-ha'am lammilkhamah laredet qe'ilah latsur el-david ve'el-anashayw

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

vayyeda david ki alayw sha'ul makharish hara'ah vayyomer el-evyatar hakkohen haggishah ha'efod

When David learned that Saul was planning to harm him, he told the priest Abiathar to bring the ephod forward.

vayyomer david Adonai elohe yisra'el shamoa shama avdekha ki-mevaqqesh sha'ul lavo el-qe'ilah leshakhet la'ir ba'avuri

And David said, “O ETERNAL God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.

hayasgiruni va'ale qe'ilah veyado hayered sha'ul ka'asher shama avdekha Adonai elohe yisra'el hagged-na le'avdekha vayyomer Adonai yered

Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me into his hands? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O ETERNAL God of Israel, tell Your servant!” And GOD said, “He will.”

vayyomer david hayasgiru ba'ale qe'ilah oti ve'et-anashay beyad-sha'ul vayyomer Adonai yasgiru

David continued, “Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hands?” And GOD answered, “They will.”

vayyaqom david va'anashayw keshesh-me'ot ish vayyetse'u miqqe'ilah vayyithallekhu ba'asher yithallakhu ulesha'ul huggad ki-nimlat david miqqe'ilah vayyekhdal latset

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

vayyeshev david bammidbar bammetsadot vayyeshev bahar bemidbar-zif vayevaqshehu sha'ul kol-hayyamim velo-netano elohim beyado

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

vayyar david ki-yatsa sha'ul levaqqesh et-nafsho vedavid bemidbar-zif bakhoreshah

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

vayyaqom yehonatan ben-sha'ul vayyelekh el-david khoreshah vayekhazzeq et-yado belohim

And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David at Horesh and encouraged him in [the name of] God.

vayyomer elayw al-tira ki lo timtsa'akha yad sha'ul avi ve'attah timlokh al-yisra'el ve'anokhi ehyeh-llekha lemishneh vegam-sha'ul avi yodea ken

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

vayyikhretu shenehem berit lifne Adonai vayyeshev david bakhoreshah vihonatan halakh leveto

And the two of them entered into a pact before GOD. David remained in Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

vayya'alu zifim el-sha'ul haggivatah lemor halo david mistatter immanu vammetsadot bakhoreshah begivat hakhakhilah asher mimin hayeshimon

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

ve'attah lekhol-avvat nafshekha hammelekh laredet red velanu hasgiro beyad hammelekh

So 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.”

vayyomer sha'ul berukhim attem la-Adonai ki khamaltem alay

And Saul replied, “May you be blessed of GOD for the compassion you have shown me!

lekhu-na hakhinu od ude'u ure'u et-meqomo asher tihyeh raglo mi ra'ahu sham ki amar elay arom yarim hu

Go 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 very cunning.

ure'u ude'u mikkol hammakhavo'im asher yitkhabbe sham veshavtem elay el-nakhon vehalakhti ittekhem vehayah im-yeshno va'arets vekhippasti oto bekhol alfe yehudah

Look 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 Judah.”

vayyaqumu vayyelekhu zifah lifne sha'ul vedavid va'anashayw bemidbar ma'on ba'aravah el yemin hayeshimon

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

vayyelekh sha'ul va'anashayw levaqqesh vayyaggidu ledavid vayyered hassela vayyeshev bemidbar ma'on vayyishma sha'ul vayyirdof akhare-david midbar ma'on

When Saul 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, Saul pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.

vayyelekh sha'ul mitsad hahar mizzeh vedavid va'anashayw mitsad hahar mizzeh vayehi david nekhpaz lalekhet mippene sha'ul vesha'ul va'anashayw oterim el-david ve'el-anashayw letofsam

Saul 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 Saul, and Saul and his men were trying to encircle David and his men and capture them,

umalakh ba el-sha'ul lemor maharah velekhah ki-fashetu felishtim al-ha'arets

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

vayyashov sha'ul mirdof akhare david vayyelekh liqrat pelishtim al-ken qare'u lammaqom hahu sela hammakhleqot

Saul 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.