Now as for the cisternwhereIshmaelhad castallthe corpsesof the menwhomhe had struckdownbecauseof Gedaliah,it was the one that KingAsahad madeon accountof Baasha,kingof Israel;Ishmaelthe sonof Nethaniahfilledit with the slain.
"Behold,he has nowhiddenhimselfin oneof the cavesorin anotherplace;and it will be whenhe fallson them at the firstattack, that whoever hears[it] will say,'There has beena slaughteramong the peoplewhofollowAbsalom.'
"But you have been castout of your tombLike a rejectedbranch,Clothedwith the slainwho are piercedwith a sword,Who godownto the stonesof the pitLike a trampledcorpse.
([men] of whomthe worldwas not worthy),wanderingin desertsand mountainsand cavesand holesin the ground.
The powerof MidianprevailedagainstIsrael.Becauseof Midianthe sonsof Israelmadefor themselves the denswhichwere in the mountainsand the cavesand the strongholds.
When the menof Israelsawthat they were in a strait(for the peoplewere hard-pressed),then the peoplehidthemselves in caves,in thickets,in cliffs,in cellars,and in pits.
When bothof them revealedthemselves to the garrisonof the Philistines,the Philistinessaid,"Behold,Hebrewsare comingout of the holeswherethey have hiddenthemselves."
When allthe menof Israelwho had hiddenthemselves in the hillcountryof Ephraimheardthat the Philistineshad fled,eventhey alsopursuedthem closelyin the battle.
He cameto the sheepfoldson the way,wherethere[was] a cave;and Saulwentin to relievehimself. Now Davidand his menwere sittingin the innerrecessesof the cave.
