1 Samuel 23

1  THEN THEY told David, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.2  So David inquired of the Lord, Shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go, smite the Philistines and save Keilah.3  David’s men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more, then, if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?4  Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.5  So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines with a great slaughter and brought away their cattle. So David delivered the people of Keilah.6  When Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he came with an ephod in his hand.7  Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by going into a town that has gates and bars.8  Saul summoned all the men for war, to go to Keilah to besiege David and his men.9  David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.10  Then David said, O Lord, the God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul intends to come and destroy the city of Keilah on my account.11  Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, I beseech You, tell Your servant. And the Lord said, He will come down.12  Then David asked, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand? The Lord said, They will deliver you up.13  Then David and his men, about 600, arose and left Keilah, going wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up going there.14  David remained in the wilderness strongholds in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hands.15  David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in the wood [at Horesh].16  And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went into the wood to David [at Horesh] and strengthened his hand in God.17  He said to him, Fear not; 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 knows that too.18  And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David remained in the wood [at Horesh], and Jonathan went to his house.19  Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood [at Horesh], on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon?20  Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hands.21  And Saul said, The Lord bless you, for you have compassion on me.22  Go, make yet more sure; and know and see where his haunt is and who has seen him there; for I am told he deals very craftily.23  See and take note of all his hiding places and come back to me with the certain facts, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.24  So they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.25  Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told; so he went down to the rock in the Wilderness of Maon and stayed. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.26  And Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men were surrounding [him] and his men to capture them.27  But a messenger came to Saul, saying, Make haste and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.28  So Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. So they called that place the Rock of Escape.29  David went up from there and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi.

1 Samuel 23

Chapter 23

David Protects the Town of Keilah

1 One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors.

2 David asked the LORD, “Should I go and attack them?”
“Yes, go and save Keilah,” the LORD told him.

3 But David’s men said, “We’re afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don’t want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!”

4 So David asked the LORD again, and again the LORD replied, “Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.”
5 So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah.

6 Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.
7 Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. “Good!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got him now! God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!”

8 So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9 But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the LORD what he should do.10 Then David prayed, “O LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here.

11 Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him?t And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell me.”
And the LORD said, “He will come.”

12 Again David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?”
And the LORD replied, “Yes, they will betray you.”

David Hides in the Wilderness

13 So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all.

14 David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him.
15 One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him.16 Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.17 “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.”

18 So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the LORD. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.
19 But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him. “We know where David is hiding,” they said. “He is in the strongholds of Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is in the southern part of Jeshimon.

20 Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!”
21 “The LORD bless you,” Saul said. “At last someone is concerned about me!22 Go and check again to be sure of where he is staying and who has seen him there, for I know that he is very crafty.23 Discover his hiding places, and come back when you are sure. Then I’ll go with you. And if he is in the area at all, I’ll track him down, even if I have to search every hiding place in Judah!”

24 So the men of Ziph returned home ahead of Saul.

Meanwhile, David and his men had moved into the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah Valley south of Jeshimon.

25 When David heard that Saul and his men were searching for him, he went even farther into the wilderness to the great rock, and he remained there in the wilderness of Maon. But Saul kept after him in the wilderness.
26 Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men,27 an urgent message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again.28 So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape.t

29 tDavid then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.