7. Someone told Saul that David was now at Keilah. Saul said, “God has given David to me! He has trapped himself because he has entered a town with gates and bars.”
8. Saul called all his army together for battle. They prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.
9. David learned Saul was making evil plans against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the holy vest.”
10. David prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, I have heard about Saul’s plans. He is coming to Keilah to destroy the town because of me.
11. Will the people of Keilah give me to Saul? Will Saul come to Keilah, as I heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell me, your servant!”The Lord answered, “Saul will come down.”
12. Again David asked, “Will the people of Keilah give me and my men to Saul?”The Lord answered, “They will.”
13. So David and his men left Keilah. There were about 600 men who went with him. And they kept moving from place to place. When Saul found that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
14. David stayed in the protected places in the desert. He also stayed in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Every day Saul looked for David. But the Lord did not let him take David.
15. David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph. He was afraid because Saul was coming to kill him.
16. But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh. He helped David have stronger faith in God.
17. Jonathan told him, “Don’t be afraid. My father won’t touch you. You will become king of Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.”
18. The two of them made an agreement before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home. But David stayed at Horesh.
19. The people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah. They told him, “David is hiding in our land. He’s at the protected places of Horesh. They are on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon.