3 Καὶ ἔλαβε μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ τρεῖς χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν ἐκλεκτοὺς ἐκ παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐπορεύθη ζητεῖν τὸν Δαυὶδ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον Σαδδαιέμ.
Πρὸς σὲ, Κύριε, ἐκέραξα, καὶ εἶπα, σὺ εἶ ἡ ἐλπίς μου, μερίς μου ἐν γῇ ζώντων.
Καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξῆλθε· καὶ οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἐπῆλθον καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ αἱ θύραι τοῦ ὑπερῴου ἐσφηνωμέναι· καὶ εἶπαν, μήποτε ἀποκενοῖ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ταμείῳ τῷ θερινῷ;
Καὶ ἐκλέγεται ἐαυτῷ Σαοὺλ τρεῖς χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν ἐκ τῶν ἀνδρῶν Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἦσαν μετὰ Σαοὺλ δισχίλιοι οἱ ἐν Μαχμὰς, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὄρει Βαιθήλ, καὶ χίλιοι ἦσαν μετὰ Ἰωνάθαν ἐν Γαβαὰ τοῦ Βενιαμίν· καὶ τὸ κατάλοιπον τοῦ λαοῦ ἐξαπέστειλεν ἕκαστον εἰς τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ.
Καὶ ἀνέστη Σαοὺλ, καὶ κατέβη εἰς τὴν ἔρημον Ζὶφ, καὶ μετʼ αὐτοὺ τρεῖς χιλιάδες ἀνδρῶν ἐκλεκτοὶ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, ζητεῖν τὸν Δαυὶδ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ζίφ.
Καὶ παρενέβαλε Σαοὺλ ἐν τῷ βουνῷ τῷ Ἐχελὰ τῷ ἐπὶ προσώπου τοῦ Ἰεσσεμοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ, καὶ Δαυὶδ ἐκάθισεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· καὶ εἶδε Δαυὶδ, ὅτι ἥκει Σαοὺλ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον.