David Eludes Saul Again

⁶ Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he had brought with him an ephod.^{[a] 7} When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered^[b] him into my hand, for he has boxed himself into a corner by entering a city with two barred gates.”^{[c] 8} So Saul mustered all his army to go down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.^[d]

⁹ When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him,^[e] he told Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” ¹⁰ Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning^[f] to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. ¹¹ Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, please inform your servant.”

Then the Lord said, “He will come down.” ¹² David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul’s hand?” The Lord said, “They will deliver you over.”

¹³ So David and his men, who numbered about 600, set out and left Keilah; they moved around from one place to another.^[g] When told that David had escaped from Keilah, Saul called a halt to his expedition. ¹⁴ David stayed in the strongholds that were in the desert and in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. Saul looked for him all the time,^[h] but God did not deliver David^[i] into his hands. ¹⁵ David realized^[j] that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the wilderness of Ziph.