Saul's Pursuit, Ziphite Betrayal, and David's Escape
1 Samuel 23:7-29
7It was reported to Saul that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, 'God has alienated him into my hand, because he has been shut up so that he cannot come into the city with doors and a bar.'8Saul summoned all the people to battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.9David knew that Saul was plotting the harm against him, and he said to Abiathar the priest, 'Bring the ephod near.'10David said, O LORD, God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account.11Will the masters of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant, please. The LORD said, He will come down.12David said, Will the masters of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? The LORD said, They will deliver.13David and his men arose, about six hundred men, and came out from Keilah and went wherever they went. It was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, and he stopped going out.14David lived in the wilderness in the strongholds and lived on the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life, while David remained in the wilderness of Ziph at the Horesh.16Jonathan son of Saul arose and went to David at the Horesh and strengthened his hand in God.17He said to him, "Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you; you will reign over Israel, and I will be second to you; Saul my father also knows this."18The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. David remained at the Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.19The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, Is David not hiding with us in the strongholds at the Horesh, in Gibeath Hachilah which lies south of the Jeshimon?20Now, according to every desire of your soul, O king, come down; come down, and we will deliver him into the hand of the king.21Saul said, May you be blessed by the LORD, for you have shown compassion toward me.22Go, prepare further, and learn and see the place where his foot will be; whoever has seen him there, for he said to me, He is shrewd, shrewd indeed.23See and learn from all the hiding places where he hides there, and return to me when you are ready; then I will go with you, and if he is in the land I will search for him throughout all the thousands of Judah.24They arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul, while David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of the Jeshimon.25Saul and his men went to search, and David was told; he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. Saul heard and pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.26Saul went along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side of the mountain. David hurried to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men to seize them.27A messenger came to Saul and said, Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land.28Saul turned back from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines; therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.29David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.