1 Samuel 23

1They told David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing floors."

2David asked Yahweh, "Shall I go and strike these Philistines?" Yahweh said to David, "Go, strike the Philistines, and save Keilah."

3David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah—how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine armies?"

4David inquired of Yahweh yet again, and Yahweh answered him, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."

5David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines, driving off their livestock and striking them with a great slaughter. David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he descended with an ephod in his hand.

7Saul was told that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, "God has given him into my hand, for he is shut up by entering a city with gates and bars."

8Saul mustered all the people for battle, to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

9David knew that Saul was secretly plotting evil against him, and he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."

10David said, "Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake."

11Will the men of Keilah hand me over into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, God of Israel, please tell your servant. Yahweh said, He will come down.

12David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" Yahweh said, "They will surrender you."

13David and his men, about six hundred strong, arose and left Keilah, going wherever they could. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, and he ceased to go out.

14David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and dwelt in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

15David saw that Saul had gone out to seek his life. He was in the wilderness of Ziph, in the forest.

16Jonathan, Saul's son, rose up and went to David in the forest and strengthened his hand in God.

17He said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you; you will reign over Israel, and I will be second to you, and Saul my father knows this too.”

18They both cut a covenant before Yahweh; David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his house.

19The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Doesn't David hide among us in the strongholds in the woods, on Hachilah hill, which lies south of Jeshimon?"

20Now, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down, and we will deliver him into the king's hand.

21Saul said, "Blessed are you by Yahweh, for you have pitied me."

22Go, please, make certain again, know and see his place where his foot is, and who has seen him there; for it has been said to me that he deals very craftily.

23See and learn all the hiding places where he conceals himself there, and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you: if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.

24They arose and went to Ziph before Saul, but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.

25Saul and his men went to search for him, and they informed David, so he went down to the rock and remained in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.

26Saul went to one side of the mountain, David and his men to the other side of the mountain; David was hastening to get away from before Saul, while Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to seize them.

27A messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have raided the land!"

28Saul turned back from chasing after David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore they called that place Sela-hammalekoth.

29David went up from there and settled in the strongholds of En-gedi.