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¹ And they spoke to David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing floors.² And David asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go? And shall I strike against these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go, and you shall strike the Philistines and save Keilah.³ And David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; and how shall we go to Keilah to the armies of the Philistines?⁴ And David once again inquired of Jehovah. And Jehovah answered him and said, Rise up, go down to Keilah, for I have given the Philistines into your hand.⁵ And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and led away their livestock, and killed among them with a great blow. And David saved those living in Keilah.⁶ And it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David, near Keilah, an ephod came in his hand.

⁷ And it was told to Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has estranged him into my hand. For he is shut in, to enter into a city of gates and a bar.⁸ And Saul heard and called all the people to battle, to go down to Keilah, to lay siege to David and to his men.⁹ But David knew that Saul was devising evil against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod near.¹⁰ And David said, O Jehovah the God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.¹¹ Will the masters of Keilah shut me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? I pray You, Jehovah the God of Israel, tell your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.¹² And David said, Will the masters of Keilah shut me and my men up into Saul's hand? And Jehovah said, They will shut you up.¹³ And David and his men, about six hundred men, rose up and left Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. And he ceased to go out.

¹⁴ And David stayed in the wilderness, in the strongholds. And he stayed in the hill, in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him all his days. And God did not give him into his hand.¹⁵ And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in the forest.¹⁶ And Jonathan the son of Saul rose up and went out to David, to the forest. And he made his hand strong in God,¹⁷ and said to him, Do not fear, for the hand of my father Saul shall not find you; and you shall reign over Israel; and I shall be second to you. And my father Saul knows it is so.¹⁸ And they cut a covenant, both of them, before Jehovah. And David stayed in the forest, and Jonathan went to his house.

¹⁹ And the men of Ziph went to Saul, to Gibeah, saying, Is not David hiding himself with us in strongholds, in the forest, in the hill of Hachilah, which is south of the wilderness?²⁰ And now, come down according to all the desires of your soul, O king. Come down, and our duty is to deliver him up into the king's hand.²¹ And Saul said, You are blessed of Jehovah, for you have had pity on me.²² Please go, make yet more sure, and know, and see his place where his foot is; who has seen him there, for one has said to me, He is being very crafty.²³ And see and know of all the hiding places where he hides himself. And you shall return to me ready, and I shall go with you, and it shall be, if he is in the land, that I shall search him out through all the thousands of Judah.²⁴ And they rose up and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.²⁵ And Saul and his men went to search. And they told David. And he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard, and pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.²⁶ And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to go away from the face of Saul. And Saul and his men were encircling David and his men, to catch them.²⁷ And a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hurry, and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.²⁸ And Saul turned back from pursuing David, and went to meet the Philistines. On account of this they have called that place, The Rock of the Division.²⁹ And David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds at En-gedi.