1 ¶ Then they said to David, Look, the Philistines are attacking Keilah, and robing the threshing-floors.

2 So David inquired of the LORD, asking, Shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the LORD said to David, Go, and defeat the Philistines, and save Keilah.

3 But David’s men said to him, Look, we live in fear here in Judah: how much more then if we move to Keilah against the Philistine army?

4 So David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.

5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and defeated them with a great slaughter. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 And when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came with an ephod in his hand.

7 ¶ Now Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. And Saul thought, God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering a town that has gates and bars.

8 So Saul summoned all the troops for battle, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

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

10 Then David said, O LORD God of Israel, your servant has certainly heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.

12 Then David asked, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver you to him.

13 Then David and his men, which numbered about six hundred, arose and left Keilah, going wherever they could. And when Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah; he gave up going there.

14 ¶ Now David stayed in the wilderness strongholds, and remained in the mountainous parts of the Ziph desert. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

15 David learned that Saul had come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a woods.

16 And Jonathan Saul’s son went to David in the woods, and strengthened his hand in God.

17 And he said to him, Do not be afraid: for the hand of Saul my father will not find you; but you will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that too.

18 And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD: and David remained in the woods, while Jonathan returned to his house.

19 ¶ Then the Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the woods, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?

20 Therefore, O king, if you would like to come down now; we will endeavor to hand him over to you.

21 And Saul said, May you be blessed by the LORD; for you have had compassion on me.

22 Go, and get things ready, investigate and find out the place where he is staying, and who has seen him there: for I have been told that he is very cunning.

23 Search, and discover all of his hiding places, and come back to me with sure information, then I will go with you: and if he is anywhere in the area, I will find him among all the thousands of Judah.

24 So they arose, and went to Ziph ahead of Saul: while David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain to the south of Jeshimon.

25 And Saul and his men went to look for him. But David was told: so he went down to the rock in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he followed David into the wilderness of Maon.

26 And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain: and David hurried to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men were at the point of encircling and capturing David and his men.

27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, Come at once; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

28 So Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape.

29 And David moved away from there, and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.