1 Samuel
Chapter 23
1 They informed David, “Look, the Philistines are attacking Keilah and stealing from the grain floors.”
2 David asked God, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And God said to David, “Go, attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
3 David’s men told him, “Look, we’re scared here in Judah. How much more scared will we be if we go to Keilah to fight the Philistine armies?”
4 David asked God again. And God replied to him, “Get up, go to Keilah; because I will give the Philistines to you.”
5 David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines, took their cattle, and defeated them badly. David rescued the people of Keilah.
6 When Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son, ran away to David at Keilah, he brought an ephod with him.
7 Someone told Saul that David had gone to Keilah. Saul said, “God has given him to me because he’s trapped in a town with gates and bars.”
8 Saul gathered all the people to fight, to go to Keilah, to surround David and his men.
9 David knew Saul was secretly planning to harm him; he told Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
10 Then David said, “God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.”
11 Will the people of Keilah give me to him? Will Saul come, as I have heard? God of Israel, please tell me. And God said, He will come.
12 David asked, “Will the people of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” And God answered, “They will hand you over.”
13 David and his six hundred men got up and left Keilah, going wherever they could. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, so he stopped pursuing him.
14 David stayed in the wilderness in secure places and was in a mountain in the Ziph wilderness. Saul looked for him every day, but God did not let Saul capture him.
15 David knew Saul had come to take his life, and he was in the Ziph wilderness, hiding in the forest.
16 Jonathan, Saul’s son, got up and went to David in the forest, where he encouraged him to trust in God.
17 He told him, “Don’t be afraid: my father Saul will not catch you; you will be king of Israel, and I will be right by your side; and my father Saul knows this.”
18 They both made a promise before God; David stayed in the forest, and Jonathan went home.
19 The people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding in our strongholds in the forest, on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon?”
20 So now, O king, come down as you wish to come down; and it will be our job to hand him over to the king.
21 Saul said, “God bless you; you have shown me kindness.”
22 Please go, get ready, find out exactly where he usually goes, and who has seen him there; because I hear he is very sneaky.
23 Be aware and learn all the hiding spots where he hides, then return to me to confirm, and I will come with you. If he is in the country, I will search for him in all the areas of Judah.
24 They got up and went to Ziph ahead of Saul; David and his men were in the Maon desert, on the south side of Jeshimon.
25 Saul and his men went looking for him. They told David, so he went down to a rock and stayed in the Maon desert. When Saul found out, he chased David in the Maon desert.
26 Saul was on one side of the mountain, David and his men on the other side. David quickly tried to escape because he was afraid of Saul. Saul and his men surrounded David and his men to capture them.
27 A messenger came to Saul and said, “Hurry and come, because the Philistines have attacked the land.”
28 So Saul stopped chasing David and fought the Philistines instead. That’s why they named that place “Rock of Escape.”
29 David left there and lived in the fortresses at Engedi.