1 Samuel 23

1David was told, “Look, the Philistines are attacking Keilah and are looting the threshing floors.”

2So David inquired of Yahweh, “Should 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!”

4So David inquired of Yahweh once again, and Yahweh answered him, “Get up, 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 drove off their livestock and struck them with a heavy defeat. So David saved the people of Keilah.

6When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he had brought the ephod down with him.

7Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and Saul said, “God has handed him over to me, for he has shut himself in by entering 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 evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

10Then David said, “Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has heard for certain that Saul is planning 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? Yahweh, God of Israel, please tell your servant.” Yahweh said, “He will come down.”

12Then David asked, “Will the leaders 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, got up and left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.

14David stayed in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand him over to him.

15David saw that Saul had come out to take his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph, at Horesh.

16Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and strengthened his hand in God.

17He said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”

18The two of them made a covenant before Yahweh. Then David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

19Some Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is David not hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon?

20Now, O king, come down whenever you wish to come down, and it will be our job to hand him over to the king.”

21Saul said, “May Yahweh bless you for having compassion on me.

22Go and make sure once more. Find out and see exactly where he goes and who has seen him there, because I am told he is very cunning.

23Look and find out about all the hiding places where he hides, then come back to me with reliable information. Then I will go with you, and if he is in the land, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.”

24So they got up and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. 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. When David was told, he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard this, he pursued David into the wilderness of Maon.

26Saul went along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along 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.

27But a messenger came to Saul and said, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!”

28So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to confront the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth.

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