Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down
to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
[5] So David and his men went to Keilah, and
fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So
David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
[6] And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled
to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
[7] And it was told Saul that David was
come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into
a town that hath gates and bars.
[8] And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah,
to besiege David and his men.
[9] And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and
he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
[10] Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy
servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
[11]
Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard?
O LORD 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 Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD
said, They will deliver thee up.
[13] Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and
departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped
from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
[14] And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained
in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into
his hand.
[15] And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of
Ziph in a wood.
[16] And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened
his hand in God.
[17] And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and
thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
[18]
And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went
to his house.
[19] Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself
with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
[20] Now
therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be
to deliver him into the king's hand.
[21] And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion
on me.
[22] Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath
seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly.
[23] See therefore, and take knowledge of
all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will
go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the
thousands of Judah.
[24] And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in
the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.
[25] Saul also and his men went to seek
him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon.
And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
[26] And Saul went on this
side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get
away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
[27]
But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded
the land.
[28] Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore
they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.
[29] And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds
at En-gedi.
1Sam.24
[1] And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying,
Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.
[2] Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all
Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
[3] And he came to the
sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men
remained in the sides of the cave.
[4] And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the
LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it
shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
[5] And it came
to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
[6] And he said unto
his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch
forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
[7] So David stayed his servants
with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and