1 Samuel 23:6-15

New American Standard Bible 1995

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 told Saul that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has ^[a]delivered him into my hand, 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 Now 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, “O 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 men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” ¹² Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “^(D)They will surrender you.” ¹³ Then David and his men, ^(E)about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went ^(F)wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he ^[b]gave up 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 sought him every day, but ^(H)God did not deliver him into his hand.

Saul Pursues David

¹⁵ Now David ^[c]became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.