1 Samuel 23:6-15

Expanded Bible

⁶ (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ·holy vest [ephod] ·with him [^Lin his hand] when he came to David at Keilah [^Cthe ephod probably held the Urim and Thummim used to determine God’s will; Ex. 28:30].)

Saul Chases David

⁷ Someone told Saul that David was now at Keilah. Saul said, “God has ·handed David over to me [^Lmade a stranger of him into my hand; ^Cthe Hebrew is obscure]! He has ·trapped [imprisoned] himself, because he has entered a town with gates and bars [^CSaul could lay siege to such a town].” ⁸ Saul called all his army together for battle, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to ·attack [^Lbesiege] David and his men.

⁹ David learned Saul was ·making evil plans [plotting evil] against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ·holy vest [ephod].” ¹⁰ David prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, ·I have [^Lyour servant has] heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah to destroy the town because ·of me [I am here]. ¹¹ Will the ·leaders [citizens; men] of Keilah ·hand me over [surrender/betray me] to Saul? Will Saul come down to Keilah, as I heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell me, your servant!”

The Lord answered, “Saul will come down.”

¹² Again David asked, “Will the ·leaders [citizens; men] of Keilah ·hand [surrender; betray] me and my men over to Saul?”

The Lord answered, “They will [^Lsurrender/betray you].”

¹³ So David and his six hundred men left Keilah and ·kept moving from place to place [^Lwent/roamed wherever they could]. When Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he ·did not go there [gave up pursuit/the campaign].

¹⁴ David stayed in the ·desert [wilderness] ·hideouts [strongholds] and in the hills of the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Ziph. Every day Saul looked for David, but the Lord did not ·surrender David to him [^Lgive David into his hand].

¹⁵ While David was at Horesh in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Ziph, he learned that Saul was coming to kill him.