1 Samuel 23

1David was told, “The Philistines are attacking Keilah and looting the threshing floors.” 2So David inquired of the LORD, “Am I to go and attack these Philistines?” The LORD answered David, “Go, attack the Philistines, and rescue Keilah.” 3But David’s men said to him, “Even here in Judah we live in fear. How much worse if we go to Keilah to face the Philistine army!”

4David inquired of the LORD once more, and the LORD answered him, “Set out and go down to Keilah, for I am handing the Philistines over to you.” 5So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He carried off their livestock and dealt them a heavy defeat. So David rescued the people of Keilah.

6Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has handed him over to me. He has shut himself in by going into a town with gates and bars.” 8Saul called up all the troops for battle, to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men. 9When David learned that Saul was plotting harm against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

10Then David said, “LORD, 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 leaders of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? LORD, God of Israel, please tell your servant.” The LORD answered, “He will come down.” 12David asked again, “Will the leaders of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” The LORD answered, “They will hand you over.”

13So David and his men, about six hundred of them, set out and left Keilah, and they kept moving from place to place. Saul was told that David had slipped away from Keilah, and he called off the march. 14David stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him day after day, but God did not give David into his hands. 15David saw that Saul had come out to take his life. At the time David was at Horesh in the wilderness of Ziph.

16Then Saul’s son Jonathan set out and went to David at Horesh, and he gave him fresh strength in God. 17He said to him, “Do not be afraid. My father Saul will not lay his hand on you. You will reign over Israel, and I will be at your side as your second. Even my father Saul knows that this is so.” 18The two of them made a covenant in the presence of the LORD. Then David stayed on at Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

19Some Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is David not hiding among us? He is in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, to the south of Jeshimon. 20So now, O king, come down whenever you wish. Our part will be to hand him over to the king.” 21Saul said, “May the LORD bless you, for you have shown me compassion. 22Go now and make even more certain. Find out exactly where he goes and who has seen him there. I hear that he is very cunning. 23Look into every hiding place he uses and learn them all, then come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you, and if he is anywhere in the region, I will hunt him down among all the clans of Judah.” 24So they set out and went back to Ziph ahead of Saul. Meanwhile David and his men had gone on to the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. 25Saul and his men went out to look for him. But David was told, so he went down to the rock and remained in the wilderness of Maon. Hearing of this, Saul went after David into the wilderness of Maon. 26Saul moved along one side of the mountain while David and his men moved along the other. David was rushing to get clear of Saul, and Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to capture them. 27But a messenger came to Saul and said, “Come quickly! The Philistines have raided the land.” 28So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to face the Philistines. That is why that place was named Sela-hammahlekoth.

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