1Samuel:23:7-29

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* And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah . Then Saul said , God has cast him off into my hand ; for he is shut in , by entering into a city that has gates and bars . * And Saul summoned all the people to war , to go down to Keilah , to besiege David and his men . * And when David knew that Saul devised mischief against him , he said to Abiathar the priest , Bring the ephod . * Then said David , Jehovah , God of Israel , thy servant hath heard for certain that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah , to destroy the city for my sake . * Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me up into his hand ? will Saul come down , as thy servant hath heard ? Jehovah , God of Israel , I beseech thee , tell thy servant . And Jehovah said , He will come down . * And David said , Will the citizens of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul ? And Jehovah said , They will deliver [thee ] up . * Then David and his men , about six hundred , arose and departed out of Keilah , and went whithersoever they could go . And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah , and he forbore to go forth . * And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds , and abode in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph . And Saul sought him every day , but God did not give him into his hand . * And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life ; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood . * And Jonathan Saul 's son arose , and went to David into the wood , and strengthened his hand in God . * And he said to him , Fear not ; for the hand of Saul my father will not find thee ; and thou shalt be king over Israel , and I shall be next to thee ; and that also Saul my father knows . * And they two made a covenant before Jehovah ; and David abode in the wood , and Jonathan went to his house . * And the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah , saying , Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood , on the hill of Hachilah , which is on the south of the waste ? * And now , O king , come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down ; and it will be for us to deliver him up into the king 's hand . * And Saul said , Blessed be ye of Jehovah ; for ye have compassion upon me . * Go , I pray you , make yet more sure , and know and see his place where his track is , who has seen him there ; for it is told me that he deals very subtilly . * And see , and ascertain all the lurking-places where he hides himself , and come ye again to me with sure information , that I may go with you ; and it shall come to pass , if he be in the land , that I will search him out throughout the thousands of Judah . * And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul ; but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon , in the plain on the south of the waste . * And Saul and his men went to seek [him ]. And they told David ; and he came down from the rock , and abode in the wilderness of Maon . And Saul heard [that ], and he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon . * And Saul went on this side of the mountain , and David and his men on that side of the mountain ; and David made haste to get away from Saul ; and Saul and his men sought to surround David and his men to take them . * But there came a messenger to Saul , saying , Haste thee and come ; for the Philistines have made a raid against the land . * And Saul returned from pursuing after David , and went against the Philistines ; therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth . * And David went up from thence , and abode in the strongholds of Engedi .

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