1 Samuel 23:13-26

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

15Now David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph, at Horesh. 16And Jonathan, Saul’s son, set out and went to David at Horesh, and 67encouraged him in God. 17He said to him, “8Do 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 second in command to you; and 9Saul my father knows that as well.” 18So 10the two of them made a covenant before the Lord; and David stayed at Horesh, while Jonathan went to his house.

19Then 11Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not keeping himself hidden with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on 12the hill of Hachilah, which is south of 13Jeshimon? 20Now then, O king, come down, 14since you fully desire to 15do so; and 16our part shall be to hand him over to the king.” 21Saul said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, 17since you have had compassion on me. 22Go now, be more persistent, and investigate and see his place where 18he is hiding, 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 keeps himself hidden, 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.”

24So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of 19Maon, in the Arabah to the south of 20Jeshimon. 25When Saul and his men went to seek him, they informed David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard about 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, while Saul and his men 21were surrounding David and his men to apprehend them.