When David was told,"Look,the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,"
he inquired of the LORD,saying,"Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" The LORD ansered him, "Go,attack the Philistines and save Kelilah.:
But David's men said to him,"Here in Judah we are afraid, How much more, then, if we go to Keliah against the Philistine forces!"
One again David inquired of the LORD, and tHE lord answered him, :Go down to Keilah, for I am giung to give the Philistines into your hand."
So David and his men went to Keliah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.
(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him wheb he fled to David at Keilah.)
Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, "God has habded him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars."
And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest,"Bring the ephod"
David said, "O LORD .God of Israel,your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come tto Keilah ad destroy the town on account of me.
Will the citizens of Keilah surrender the to him? Will Saul come down, as you servanbt his heard? O LORD ;God of Israel, tell your servant," And the LORD said,"He will."
Again David asked," Will the citizwna od Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" And the LORD said," They will."
So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keiklah. he did not go there.
David stayed in the desert strongholds. and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.
While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life
And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.
Don't be afraid," he said," My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel ,and I will bes econd to you, Even my father Saul knows this."
The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then Jonathah went home, but David remained at Horesh.
The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said,"Is not David hidding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon?
Now,O king, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for handing him over to the king,"
Saul replied," The LORD bless you for your concern for me.
Go and make futher preparation , Find ou where David usuallt goes and who has seen him there, They tell me he is very crafty.
Findout about all the hidinf places he uses and comd back to me with definite information,Then I will go with you. If he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah."
So they set out and webt to Zph ahead if Saul, Now David
Saul and his men began the seach, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock ands tayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.
Saul was going on side of the mountain. and David and his men were on mountain, and David and his men were on the other side,hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them.
a messanger came to Saukl, saying,"Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land."
Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines, That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth,
And David webt up from there and lived in thes trongholds of En Ged!.