23:1 有人告訴大衛說：「非利士人攻擊基伊拉，搶奪禾場。」
23:2 所以大衛求問耶和華說：「我去攻打那些非利士人可以不可以？」耶和華對大衛說：「你可以去攻打非利士人，拯救基伊拉。」
23:3 跟隨大衛的人對他說：「我們在猶大地這裡尚且懼怕，何況往基伊拉去攻打非利士人的軍旅呢？」
23:4 大衛又求問耶和華。耶和華回答說：「你起身下基伊拉去，我必將非利士人交在你手裡。」
23:5 大衛和跟隨他的人往基伊拉去，與非利士人打仗，大大殺敗他們，又奪獲他們的牲畜。這樣，大衛救了基伊拉的居民。
23:6 亞希米勒的兒子亞比亞他逃到基伊拉見大衛的時候，手裡拿著以弗得。
23:7 有人告訴掃羅說：「大衛到了基伊拉。」掃羅說：「他進了有門有閂的城，困閉在裡頭；這是上帝將他交在我手裡了。」
23:8 於是掃羅招聚眾民，要下去攻打基伊拉城，圍困大衛和跟隨他的人。
23:9 大衛知道掃羅設計謀害他，就對祭司亞比亞他說：「將以弗得拿過來。」
23:10 大衛禱告說：「耶和華─以色列的上帝啊，你僕人聽真了掃羅要往基伊拉來，為我的緣故滅城。
23:11 基伊拉人將我交在掃羅手裡不交？掃羅照著你僕人所聽的話下來不下來？耶和華─以色列的上帝啊，求你指示僕人！」耶和華說：「掃羅必下來。」
23:12 大衛又說：「基伊拉人將我和跟隨我的人交在掃羅手裡不交？」耶和華說：「必交出來。」
23:13 大衛和跟隨他的約有六百人，就起身出了基伊拉，往他們所能往的地方去。有人告訴掃羅，大衛離開基伊拉逃走；於是掃羅不出來了。
23:14 大衛住在曠野的山寨裡，常在西弗曠野的山地。掃羅天天尋索大衛，上帝卻不將大衛交在他手裡。
23:15 大衛知道掃羅出來尋索他的命。那時，他住在西弗曠野的樹林裡；
23:16 掃羅的兒子約拿單起身，往那樹林裡去見大衛，使他倚靠上帝得以堅固，
23:17 對他說：「不要懼怕！我父掃羅的手必不加害於你；你必作以色列的王，我也作你的宰相。這事我父掃羅知道了。」
23:18 於是二人在耶和華面前立約。大衛仍住在樹林裡，約拿單回家去了。
23:19 西弗人上到基比亞見掃羅，說：「大衛不是在我們那裡的樹林裡山寨中、曠野南邊的哈基拉山藏著嗎？
23:20 王啊，請你隨你的心願下來，我們必親自將他交在王的手裡。」
23:21 掃羅說：「願耶和華賜福與你們，因你們顧恤我。
23:22 請你們回去，再確實查明他的住處和行蹤，是誰看見他在那裡，因為我聽見人說他甚狡猾。
23:23 所以要看準他藏匿的地方，回來據實地告訴我，我就與你們同去。他若在猶大的境內，我必從千門萬戶中搜出他來。」
23:24 西弗人就起身，在掃羅以先往西弗去。大衛和跟隨他的人卻在瑪雲曠野南邊的亞拉巴。
23:25 掃羅和跟隨他的人去尋找大衛；有人告訴大衛，他就下到磐石，住在瑪雲的曠野。掃羅聽見，便在瑪雲的曠野追趕大衛。
23:26 掃羅在山這邊走，大衛和跟隨他的人在山那邊走。大衛急忙躲避掃羅；因為掃羅和跟隨他的人，四面圍住大衛和跟隨他的人，要拿獲他們。
23:27 忽有使者來報告掃羅說：「非利士人犯境搶掠，請王快快回去！」
23:28 於是掃羅不追趕大衛，回去攻打非利士人。因此那地方名叫西拉‧哈瑪希羅結。
23:29 大衛從那裡上去，住在隱‧基底的山寨裡。
When
David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are
looting the threshing floors,” 2 he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack
these Philistines?”
The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the
Philistines and save Keilah.”
3 But
David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if
we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”
4 Once
again David inquired of the Lord,
and the Lord answered him, “Go
down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.” 5 So
David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their
livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of
Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod
down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
7 Saul
was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him
into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates
and bars.” 8 And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to
go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 When
David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the
priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10 David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has
heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on
account of me. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to
him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”
And
the Lord said, “He will.”
12 Again
David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?”
And
the Lord said, “They will.”
13 So
David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving
from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he
did not go there.
14 David
stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph.
Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.
15 While
David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that[a] Saul had
come out to take his life. 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to
David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. 17 “Don’t
be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be
king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”
18 The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David
remained at Horesh.
19 The
Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in
the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? 20 Now,
Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be
responsible for giving him into your hands.”
21 Saul
replied, “The Lord bless you for
your concern for me. 22 Go and get more information. Find out
where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very
crafty. 23 Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come
back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the
area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.”
24 So
they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the
Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and
his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the
rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the
Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.
26 Saul
was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the
other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing
in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to
Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” 28 Then
Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is
why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth.[b] 29 And
David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.[c]
***********
大衛雖然是上帝的受膏者，但是以色列人甚至猶大的百姓，並不一定馬上認同，畢竟掃羅的勢力還是存在，而且這個勢力隨時都會威脅到大衛的安危，甚至於以色列的百姓更是處處為掃羅，因為掃羅現在是以色列王！
其實大衛的處境也是今日基督徒的處境，我們雖然是上帝的兒女，生活在這世界，但是我們並不屬於這世界的，我們是屬乎上帝的！然而這世界有一天會過去，上帝國有一天必完全實現！在這種情況下，我們要不斷跟惡者征戰，就是反對上帝的勢力！當然這惡者在世界仍然是有能力的，正如保羅所說：「那時，你們在其中行事為人，隨從今世的風俗，順服空中掌權者的首領，就是現今在悖逆之子心中運行的邪靈。我們從前也都在他們中間，放縱肉體的私慾，隨著肉體和心中所喜好的去行，本為可怒之子，和別人一樣。」(以弗所書2:2-3)「因我們並不是與屬血氣的爭戰（原文是摔跤；下同），乃是與那些執政的、掌權的、管轄這幽暗世界的，以及天空屬靈氣的惡魔爭戰。」(以弗所書6:12)
既然如此，我們要靠堅強的信心和那惡者爭戰，更要相信主已經在十字架上勝過那惡者，現在只是困獸之鬥。因為那惡者是無法勝過上帝的，正如黑暗無法勝過光明一樣！在《啟示錄》中這樣宣告：「第七位天使吹號，天上就有大聲音說：世上的國成了我主和主基督的國；他要作王，直到永永遠遠。」（11:15）
而在歷史上掃羅後來敗亡之後，大衛接續成為以色列的王。所以，上帝的應許必不落空，一定會成就的！
