1 Samuel 23:7-23

7Now when Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand! For he shut himself in by entering a town with barred gates.”

8So Saul summoned all the troops for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his fellow men.

9Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him, so he said to Abiathar the kohen, “Bring the ephod.”

10Then David said, “Adonai, God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul intends to come to Keilah to destroy the town because of me.

11Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? Adonai God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” “He will come down,” Adonai said.

12Then David asked, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my fellow men into the hand of Saul?” “They will surrender,” Adonai said.

13Then David and his fellow men, about 600, got up and left Keilah, and went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he stopped the pursuit.

14So David stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness, remaining in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

15By now David was aware that Saul would come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Choresh.

16Then Saul’s son Jonathan arose and went to David at Choresh and strengthened him in God.

17“Don’t be afraid,” he said to him, “because my father Saul will never find you. You will be king over Israel and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul recognizes that.”

18Again they cut a covenant before Adonai. David remained at Choresh, but Jonathan went home.

19Then some of the Ziphites went up to Saul in Gibeah, saying, “Isn’t David hiding with us in the strongholds at Choresh, in the hill of Hachilah which is south of Jeshimon?

20Now therefore, O king, come down whenever it is a desire of your soul to come down—our part will be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”

21“May you be blessed of Adonai,” Saul said, “for you have taken pity on me.

22Go now, make more sure, investigate and scout out his place where he usually goes and who has seen him there. For I have been told that he is very cunning.

23Look around and see in which of all the hiding places he has been hiding, and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the area, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”