1 Samuel 23:1-29
David Saves Keilah
1 When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” 2 he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”
The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
3 But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”
4 Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.” 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” 8 And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10 David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”
And the Lord said, “He will.”
12 Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?”
And the Lord said, “They will.”
13 So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
14 David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.
15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. 17 “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on 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. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.
19 The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.”
21 Saul replied, “The Lord bless you for your concern for me. 22 Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. 23 Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.”
24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.
26 Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” 28 Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth. 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
People told David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against the city of Keilah...They are robbing grain from the threshing floors.”...David asked the LORD, “Should I go and fight these Philistines?”...The LORD answered David, “Yes, go attack the Philistines...Save Keilah.”...But David’s men said to him, “Look, our men are afraid here in Judah...Just think how afraid we will be if we go to Keilah, where the Philistine army is lined up and ready for battle.”...David again asked the LORD...And the LORD answered David, “Go down to Keilah...I will help you defeat the Philistines.”...So David and his men went to Keilah...David’s men fought the Philistines...They defeated them and took their cattle...In this way David saved the people of Keilah...(When Abiathar ran away to David, Abiathar took an ephod with him.)...People told Saul that David was now at Keilah...Saul said, “God has given David to me...David trapped himself when he went into a city surrounded by a wall with gates and bars to lock them.”...Saul called all his army together for battle...They prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men...David learned that Saul was making plans against him...David then said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”...David prayed, “LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me...Will Saul come to Keilah?...Will the people of Keilah give me to Saul?...LORD, God of Israel, I am your servant...Please tell me!”...The LORD answered, “Saul will come.”...Again David asked, “Will the people of Keilah give me and my men to Saul?”...The LORD answered, “They will.”...So David and his men left Keilah...There were about 600 men who went with David...They kept moving from place to place...Saul learned that David had escaped from Keilah, so he did not go to that city...
David went into the desert of Ziph and stayed in the mountains and fortresses there...Saul looked for David the whole time, but the LORD didn’t let Saul catch him...David was at Horesh in the desert of Ziph...He was afraid because Saul was coming to kill him...But Saul’s son Jonathan went to see David at Horesh and encouraged him to have a stronger faith in God...Jonathan told David, “Don’t be afraid...My father Saul won’t hurt you...You will become the king of Israel, and I will be second to you...Even my father knows this.”...Jonathan and David both made an agreement before the LORD...Then Jonathan went home, and David stayed at Horesh...Some people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David is hiding in our area...He is at the fortresses of Horesh on Hakilah Hill, south of Jeshimon...Now, King, come down any time you want...It is our duty to give David to you.”...Saul answered, “May the LORD bless you for helping me...Go and learn more about David...Keep track of where he goes and who goes to see him...I am told that David is smart and that he is trying to trick me...Find all the hiding places that David uses...Then come back to me and tell me everything...Then I’ll go with you...If David is in the area, I will find him, even if I must go to every family group in Judah.”...So those people went back to Ziph before Saul...David and his men were in the desert of Maon, south of Jeshimon...Saul and his men went to look for David, but the people warned him...They told David that Saul was looking for him...So David then went down to “The Rock” in the desert of Maon...Saul heard that David had gone there, so Saul went to that place to find him...Saul was on one side of the mountain...David and his men were on the other side of the same mountain...David was moving as quickly as possible to get away from Saul...But Saul and his soldiers were going around the mountain to cut them off and trap David and his men...Then a messenger arrived and told Saul, “Come quickly!...The Philistines are attacking.”...So Saul stopped chasing David and went to fight the Philistines...That is why people call this place “Slippery Rock.”...David left the desert of Maon and went to the fortresses near En Gedi...