1 Samuel 23

23Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against ^aKeilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. ²Therefore David ^binquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. ³And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? ⁴Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for ^cI will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. ⁵So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah. ⁶And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech ^dfled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

^7*And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. ⁸And Saul ^ecalled all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. ⁹And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and ^fhe said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. ¹⁰Then said David, O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, ^gto destroy the city for my sake. ¹¹Will ^hthe men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down. ¹²Then said David, Will ^hthe men of Keilah ^†deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will ^†deliver thee up. ¹³Then David and his men, which were about ⁱsix hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and ^kwent whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth. ¹⁴And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of ^lZiph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. ¹⁵And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of ^lZiph in a wood.

¹⁶And ^mJonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. ¹⁷And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and ⁿthat also Saul my father knoweth. ¹⁸And they two ^omade a covenant ^pbefore the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

¹⁹Then ^qcame up the ^lZiphites to Saul to ^rGibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in ^sthe hill of Hachilah, which is ^†on the south of ^||Jeshimon? ²⁰Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to ^tdeliver him into the king’s hand. ²¹And Saul said, ^uBlessed be ye of the Lord; for ^wye have compassion on me. ²²Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his ^†haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. ²³See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me ^xwith the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah. ²⁴And they arose, and went to ^lZiph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of ^yMaon, in the plain on ^zthe south of Jeshimon. ²⁵Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down ^||into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. ²⁶And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made ^ahaste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. ²⁷But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; ^bfor the Philistines have ^†invaded the land. ²⁸Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place ^||Sela-hammahlekoth.

²⁹And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at ^cEn-gedi.