1 Samuel 23:6-15

Lexham English Bible

David Flees from Saul at Keilah

⁶ Now when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled^[a] to David at Keilah, he went down with an ephod in his hand. ⁷ When it was told to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, Saul said, “God has given him^[b] into my hand, because he has shut himself in by going into a city with two barred gates.^{[c] 8} Saul then summoned all of the army for the battle, to go down to Keilah to lay a siege against David and his men. ⁹ When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” ¹⁰ And David said, “O Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. ¹¹ Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me 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.” ¹² Then David said, “Will the rulers of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And Yahweh said, “They will deliver you.” ¹³ So David and his men got up, about six hundred men, and went out from Keilah and wandered wherever they could go. When it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he stopped his pursuit.^[d]

David Eludes Saul’s Pursuit

¹⁴ David remained in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him continually,^[e] but God did not give him into his hand. ¹⁵ When David realized that Saul had gone out to seek his life, David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.