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 ^[a]delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. ⁸ And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. ⁹ And David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. ¹⁰ Then said David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, thy servant hath surely 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 Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down. ¹² Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up. ¹³ Then David and his men, who 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 the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country 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 ^[b]the wood.