20. Now, King, come down any time you want. It is our duty to give David to you.”
21. Saul answered, “May the Lord bless you for helping me.
22. Go and learn more about David. Keep track of where he goes and who goes to see him. I am told that David is smart and that he is trying to trick me.
23. Find all the hiding places that David uses. Then come back to me and tell me everything. Then I’ll go with you. If David is in the area, I will find him, even if I must go to every family group in Judah.”
24. So those people went back to Ziph before Saul. David and his men were in the desert of Maon, south of Jeshimon.
25. Saul and his men went to look for David, but the people warned him. They told David that Saul was looking for him. So David then went down to “The Rock” in the desert of Maon. Saul heard that David had gone there, so Saul went to that place to find him.
26. Saul was on one side of the mountain. David and his men were on the other side of the same mountain. David was moving as quickly as possible to get away from Saul. But Saul and his soldiers were going around the mountain to cut them off and trap David and his men.
27. Then a messenger arrived and told Saul, “Come quickly! The Philistines are attacking.”
28. So Saul stopped chasing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why people call this place “Slippery Rock.”
29. David left the desert of Maon and went to the fortresses near En Gedi.