1 Samuel 23:13-26

13Then David and his men, 1about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went 2wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he 3gave up the pursuit. 14David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of 4Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but 5God did not deliver him into his hand.

15Now David 6became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and 78encouraged him in God. 17Thus he said to him, “9Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and 10Saul my father knows that also.” 18So 11the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

19Then 12Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on 13the hill of Hachilah, which is on the 14south of 15Jeshimon? 20Now then, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to 16do so; and 17our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.” 21Saul said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, 18for you have had compassion on me. 22Go now, make more sure, and investigate and see his place where his 19haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning. 23So look, and learn about all the hiding places where he hides himself and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”

24Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of 20Maon, in the Arabah to the 21south of 22Jeshimon. 25When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. 26Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain; and David was hurrying to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men 23were surrounding David and his men to seize them.