[1] Now they told David, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against
Kei'lah, and are robbing the threshing floors." [2] Therefore David
inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the
LORD said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Kei'lah." [3]
But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much
more then if we go to Kei'lah against the armies of the Philistines?" [4]
Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, "Arise,
go down to Kei'lah; for I will give the Philistines into your hand." [5]
And David and his men went to Kei'lah, and fought with the Philistines, and
brought away their cattle, and made a great slaughter among them. So David
delivered the inhabitants of Kei'lah. [6] When Abi'athar the son of
Ahim'elech fled to David to Kei'lah, he came down with an ephod in his
hand. [7] Now it was told Saul that David had come to Kei'lah. And Saul
said, "God has given him into my hand; for he has shut himself in by
entering a town that has gates and bars." [8] And Saul summoned all the
people to war, to go down to Kei'lah, to besiege David and his men. [9]
David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; and he said to
Abi'athar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." [10] Then said David, "O
LORD, the God of Israel, thy servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to
come to Kei'lah, to destroy the city on my account. [11] Will the men of
Kei'lah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as thy servant has
heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant." And
the LORD said, "He will come down." [12] Then said David, "Will the men of
Kei'lah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said,
"They will surrender you." [13] Then David and his men, who were about six
hundred, arose and departed from Kei'lah, and they went wherever they could
go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Kei'lah, he gave up the
expedition. [14] And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness,
in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every
day, but God did not give him into his hand. [15] And David was afraid
because Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of
Ziph at Horesh. [16] And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose, and went to David at
Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. [17] And he said to him, "Fear
not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; you shall be king
over Israel, and I shall be next to you; Saul my father also knows this."
[18] And the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; David remained at
Horesh, and Jonathan went home. [19] Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at
Gib'e-ah, saying, "Does not David hide among us in the strongholds at
Horesh, on the hill of Hachi'lah, which is south of Jeshi'mon? [20] Now
come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down; and
our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand." [21] And Saul
said, "May you be blessed by the LORD; for you have had compassion on me.
[22] Go, make yet more sure; know and see the place where his haunt is, and
who has seen him there; for it is told me that he is very cunning. [23] See
therefore, and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come
back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you; and if he is in
the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah." [24] And
they arose, and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in
the wilderness of Ma'on, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshi'mon. [25] And
Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told; therefore he went
down to the rock which is in the wilderness of Ma'on. And when Saul heard
that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Ma'on. [26] Saul went on
one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the
mountain; and David was making haste to get away from Saul, as Saul and his
men were closing in upon David and his men to capture them, [27] when a
messenger came to Saul, saying, "Make haste and come; for the Philistines
have made a raid upon the land." [28] So Saul returned from pursuing after
David, and went against the Philistines; therefore that place was called
the Rock of Escape. [29] And David went up from there, and dwelt in the
strongholds of En-ge'di.
