I Samuel 23

1. And they told David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing floors.”

2. And David asked of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go? And shall I strike these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

3. And David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

4. And David inquired of the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

5. And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. And they led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. And David saved the people of Keilah.

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

7. And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars.”

8. And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

9. And David knew that Saul secretly planned evil against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

10. And David said, “O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.

11. Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beg of You, tell Your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will come down.”

12. And David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will deliver you up.”

13. And David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went wherever they could go. And it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. And he did not go forth.

14. And David stayed in the wilderness in strongholds, and remained in the stronghold in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul looked for him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

15. And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a woods.

16. And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God.

17. And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. And you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. And my father Saul knows that also.”

18. And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the forest, and Jonathan went to his house.

19. And the men of Ziph came up to Saul, to Gibeah, saying, “Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the forest, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the wilderness?

20. And now, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul. Come down and it is for us to shut him up into the king’s hand.”

21. And Saul said, “Blessed are you from the LORD, for you have pity on me.

22. Please go, make more sure, and know and see the place where his hideout is. Who has seen him there? For I am told that he is very subtle.

23. And see and know of all the hiding places where he hides himself there, and return to me with the certainty of the matter. And then I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.”

24. And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul, but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain, on the south of the desert.

25. Saul and his men also went to look for him—but they told David. And he came down from the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard, he followed after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26. And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away before Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men, to take them.

27. And a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”

28. And Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place, The Rock of the Division.

29. And David went up from there and stayed in strongholds at En Gedi.