¹⁹ Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Do you know that David is hiding near us in the strongholds at Horesh near the Hill of Hakilah, in the southern part of the badlands?^{[a] 20} So now, O King, come down! Come down whenever you wish to come, and our role will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.”

²¹ Saul said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have sympathized with me. ²² Go and make sure that you know exactly where he is and who has seen him there, for I have been told that he is very wily. ²³ Make sure that you know all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with solid information. Then I will come with you. If he is in the land, you can be sure that I will hunt him down among all the thousands of Judah.” ²⁴ So Saul’s men set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.

Meanwhile David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah,^[b] south of the badlands.

David in the Wilderness of Maon

²⁵ Saul and his men went to look for David. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon. ²⁶ Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side. David hurried to get away from Saul and his men, who were trying to surround David and his men in order to capture them. ²⁷ But a messenger came to Saul and said, “Hurry! Come back, because the Philistines have made a raid on the land!” ²⁸ So Saul turned back from pursuing David and went to confront the Philistines. That is why that place is named Sela Hamahlekoth.^[c]

David and Saul at En Gedi

²⁹ Then David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of En Gedi.^[d]