1 Samuel 23

1Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing floors.”

2So David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” And Yahweh said to David, “Go and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

3But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the battle lines of the Philistines?”

4David again inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him and said, “Rise, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand.”

5So David and his men went to Keilah and fought against the Philistines, and he drove off their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.

7And it was reported to Saul that David had come to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a city with doors and bars.”

8So Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

9When David learned that Saul was secretly plotting harm against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

10Then David said, “O Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.”

11Will the men of Keilah hand me over into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Yahweh, God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And Yahweh said, “He will come down.”

12Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah hand me and my men over into Saul’s hand?” And Yahweh said, “They will hand you over.”

13Then David arose with his men, about six hundred men, and they went out from Keilah and went wherever they could go. And it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, so he stopped going out.

14David stayed in the wilderness strongholds, and he stayed in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him all the days, but God did not give him into his hand.

15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life, while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

16Then Jonathan son of Saul arose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.

17He said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you. You will reign over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even Saul my father knows this.”

18And the two of them made a covenant before Yahweh. Then David remained in the wooded area, and Jonathan went to his house.

19Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds in the wooded area, on the hill of Hachilah, which is to the right of the Jeshimon?”

20Now then, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down, and it is for us to hand him over into the king’s hand.

21Saul said, “May you be blessed by Yahweh, because you have had compassion on me.”

22Please go and make further preparations, and know and see his place where his foot is, who has seen him there; for I am told, ‘He is very cunning.’

23See and find out from all the hiding places where he hides there, then return to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.

24They arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah, to the south of the Jeshimon.

25So Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David, so he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.

26Saul was going on one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain. David was hurrying to go away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.

27But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.”

28So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Division.