 1 They told David saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing floors. 2 David asked of the Lord saying, Shall I go? And shall I strike these Philistines? The Lord said to David, Go and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah. 3 David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? 4 David inquired of the Lord once again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines to you. 5 David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. They led away their cattle and struck them with a great slaughter. And David saved the people of Keilah. 6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7 When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, God has delivered him into my hands, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars. 8 Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul secretly planned evil against him. He said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here. 10 David said, O Lord God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I beg of you, tell your servant. The Lord said, He will come down. 12 David said, Will the men of Keilah shut up me and my men into the hand of Saul? The Lord said, They will shut you up. 13 David and his men, about 600, arose and departed out of Keilah and went wherever they could go. And it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. And he did not go forth. 14 David stayed in the wilderness in strongholds, and remained in the stronghold in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul looked for him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. 15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a woods. 16 Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 He said to him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. And you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. And my father Saul knows that also. 18 The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. So David stayed in the forest and Jonathan went to his house. 19 The men of Ziph came up to Saul, to Gibeah saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the forest, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the wilderness? 20 Now, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul. Come down, and it is for us to shut him up into the king's hand. 21 Saul said, Blessed are you from the Lord, for you have pity on me. 22 Please go, make more sure, and know and see the place where his foot is. Who has seen him there? For I am told that he is very subtle. 23 Look and find all the hiding places where he hides himself and return to me prepared. I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah. 24 They arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain, on the south of the desert. 25 Saul and his men also went to look for him. They told David. And he came down from the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard, he followed after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away before Saul. For Saul and his men were encircling David and his men, to take them. 27 A messenger came to Saul saying, Hurry and come. For the Philistines have invaded the land. 28 Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place, The Rock of the Division. 29 David went from there and stayed in the strongholds at Engedi.
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