1 Samuel 23:6-18

New American Standard Bible

⁶ Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech ^(A)fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. ⁷ When it was reported to Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has handed him over to me, for he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars.” ⁸ So Saul summoned all the people for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. ⁹ But David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him; so he said to ^(B)Abiathar the priest, “^(C)Bring the ephod here.” ¹⁰ Then David said, “Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. ¹¹ Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, please, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” ¹² Then David said, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” And the Lord said, “^(D)They will hand you over.” ¹³ Then David and his men, ^(E)about six hundred, rose up and departed from Keilah, and they went ^(F)wherever they could go. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up ^[a]the pursuit. ¹⁴ David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of ^(G)Ziph. And Saul searched for him every day, but ^(H)God did not hand him over to him.

Saul Pursues David

¹⁵ Now David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph, at Horesh. ¹⁶ And Jonathan, Saul’s son, set out and went to David at Horesh, and ^[b](I)encouraged him in God. ¹⁷ He said to him, “^(J)Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel, and I will be second in command to you; and ^(K)Saul my father knows that as well.” ¹⁸ So ^(L)the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; and David stayed at Horesh, while Jonathan went to his house.