1 Samuel 23
1 They told David, “The Philistines are attacking Keilah and looting the threshing floors.”
2 David asked the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” The LORD answered David, “Go, attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
3 But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are already afraid here in Judah. How much more if we go to Keilah, against the Philistine forces!”
4 David consulted the LORD once more, and the LORD answered him, “Get up, go down to Keilah, for I will hand the Philistines over to you.”
5 David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines, drove off their livestock, and inflicted a great defeat on them. So David saved the people of Keilah.
6 When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with the ephod in his hand.
7 Saul was told that David had entered Keilah, and Saul said, “God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a city with gates and bars.”
8 Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah and surround David and his men.
9 David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”
10 David said, “LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard clearly that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city because of me.
11 Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? LORD, God of Israel, please reveal this to your servant.” The LORD answered, “He will come down.”
12 David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” The LORD answered, “They will.”
13 David and his men, about six hundred in all, got up and left Keilah, wandering wherever they could. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, and he gave up the expedition.
14 David stayed in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and lived in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand him over to Saul.
15 David saw that Saul had set out to take his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph, at Horesh.
16 Jonathan son of Saul went to David at Horesh and strengthened his hand in God.
17 He said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for my father Saul’s hand will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”
18 The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 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 the wilderness?
20 Now, O king, come down whenever you desire, and it will be our task to hand him over to the king.”
21 Saul said, “May the LORD bless you, for you have shown compassion to me.
22 Go, make further preparations, find out and see where he goes and who has seen him there, for I have been told that he is very crafty.
23 Find out about all the hiding places where he conceals himself, then return to me with reliable information. I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search for him among all the clans of Judah.”
24 They set out for Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah, south of the wilderness.
25 Saul and his men went to search for him. David was told, and he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. Saul heard about it and pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 Saul went along one side of the mountain, while David and his men went along the other. David hurried to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.
27 But a messenger came to Saul and said, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have invaded the land.”
28 Saul stopped pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.
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