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David Saves the People of Keilah

23 ·Someone told [News came to; L They told] David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting ·against [at] Keilah and ·stealing grain from [L robbing; plundering; looting] the threshing floors.”

David ·asked [inquired of] the Lord, “Should I go and ·fight [attack; L strike] these Philistines?”

The Lord answered him, “Go. ·Attack [L Strike] the Philistines, and ·save [rescue; deliver] Keilah.”

But David’s men said to him, “We’re afraid here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah ·where the Philistine army is [L against the ranks of the Philistines].”

David ·again asked [inquired again of] the Lord, and the Lord [L again] answered, “Go down to Keilah. I will ·help you defeat [L give into your hand] the Philistines.” So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines and took their cattle. David ·killed [slaughtered] many Philistines and ·saved [rescued; delivered] the people of Keilah. (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ·holy vest [ephod] ·with him [L in his hand] when he came to David at Keilah [C the ephod probably held the Urim and Thummim used to determine God’s will; Ex. 28:30].)

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23 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.

Therefore David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.

And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

Then David enquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

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