David Saves Keilah
1David was told, “The Philistines are fighting against Keilah and raiding the threshing floors.” 2So David inquired of Yahweh, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” Yahweh said to David, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid even here in Judah — how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!” 4Once again David inquired of Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him, “Get up, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand.” 5So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines, drove off their livestock, and struck them with a heavy blow. So David saved the people of Keilah. 6Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought an ephod down with him. 7Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, and Saul said, “God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” 8So Saul summoned all the troops to war, to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men. 9When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10David said, “Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has heard for certain that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me. 11Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, God of Israel, please tell your servant.” Yahweh said, “He will come down.” 12David asked again, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” Yahweh said, “They will hand you over.” 13So David and his men, about six hundred of them, set out and left Keilah, and moved from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the pursuit.
Jonathan Strengthens David
14David stayed in the wilderness strongholds, in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him day after day, but God did not hand him over. 15David saw that Saul had come out to take his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph, at Horesh. 16Jonathan, Saul’s son, set out and went to David at Horesh and strengthened his hand in God. 17“Do not be afraid,” he said, “for the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18The two of them made a covenant before Yahweh. Then David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
The Ziphites Betray David
19Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon? 20Now then, O king, come down whenever it suits you, and we will be responsible for handing him over to the king.” 21Saul said, “May you be blessed by Yahweh for having compassion on me. 22Go and make further preparations. Find out exactly where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told he is very cunning. 23Locate all the hiding places where he conceals himself, and come back to me with reliable information. Then I will go with you, and if he is anywhere in the land, I will hunt him down among all the clans of Judah.” 24So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. 25Saul and his men went to search for him, but David was told, and he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard of it, he pursued David into the Wilderness of Maon. 26Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. 27Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines have invaded the land!” 28So Saul turned back from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call that place the Rock of Escape.
