1 Samuel

¹David received word that the Philistines were attacking Keilah and plundering the threshing floors.

²He asked the LORD, 'Should I go and attack these Philistines?' The LORD answered, 'Yes, go and save Keilah.'

³But David's men said, 'We are afraid here in Judah. How much more frightened we would be going to Keilah against the Philistine forces!'

⁴David asked the LORD again, and again the LORD answered, 'Go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.'

⁵So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines, drove off their livestock, and inflicted heavy casualties. David saved the people of Keilah.

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

⁷Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he thought, 'God has handed him over to me — he has trapped himself by entering a walled town.'

⁸So Saul called up all his forces to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

⁹When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he told Abiathar the priest, 'Bring the ephod.'

¹⁰David prayed, 'LORD God of Israel, I have heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.'

¹¹'Will the men of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul actually come down as I have heard? LORD God of Israel, please tell me.' The LORD said, 'He will come down.'

¹²David asked further, 'Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?' The LORD said, 'They will.'

¹³So David and his six hundred men left Keilah immediately and went wherever they could. When Saul heard that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition.

¹⁴David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the desert of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not give David into his hands.

¹⁵David learned that Saul was coming to take his life. He was in the desert of Ziph, in the forest,

¹⁶and Jonathan son of Saul went to David there and helped him find strength in God.

¹⁷'Don't be afraid,' Jonathan told him. '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 the LORD. Then David stayed in the forest while Jonathan went home.

¹⁹Some Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, 'David is hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah south of Jeshimon.'

²⁰'Come down whenever you please, O king, and we will be responsible for handing him over to you.'

²¹Saul replied, 'The LORD bless you for showing concern for me.'

²²'Go and make sure you know where he goes and who has seen him there. I am told he is very cunning.'

²³'Find out all the places he hides, then come back to me with reliable information, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search out every hiding place among all the clans of Judah.'

²⁴They went back ahead of Saul to Ziph, while David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the plain south of Jeshimon.

²⁵Saul and his men went searching, and David was warned. He went down to a rock and stayed in the desert of Maon. When Saul heard of this, he went into the desert of Maon in pursuit.

²⁶Saul went along one side of the mountain while David and his men were on the other side. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, who was closing in to capture him.

²⁷But a messenger came to Saul, saying, 'Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land!'

²⁸So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to deal with the Philistines. That place was named the Rock of Parting.

²⁹And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds at En Gedi.