David Delivers Keilah

1And they will announce to David, saying, Behold, the rovers fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing-floors. 2And David will ask in Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and strike against these rovers? And Jehovah will say to David, Go and strike against the rovers, and save Keilah. 3And David's men will say to him, Behold us here in Judah being afraid, and even more if we shall go to Keilah against the ranks of the rovers. 4And David will add yet to ask in Jehovah, and Jehovah will answer him and say, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I gave the rovers into thy hand. 5And David will go, and his men, to Keilah, and he will war against the rovers, and drive away their cattle, and strike against them a great blow. And David will save the inhabitants of Keilah.

6And it will be in the fleeing of Abiathar son of Ahimelech, to David to Keilah, he brought down an ephod in his hand.

Saul Pursues David
(Psalm 54:1–7)

7And it will be announced to Saul that David came to Keilah. And Saul will say, God sold him into my hand; for he was shut up, to come to a city of doors and bars. 8And Saul will summon all the people to war to go down to Keilah to press against David and against his men. 9And David knew that Saul was working evil against him; and he will say to Abiathar the priest, Bring near the ephod. 10And David will say, Jehovah God of Israel, hearing, thy servant heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on account of me. 11Will the lords of Keilah shut me up in his hand? will Saul come down as thy servant heard? Jehovah God of Israel, announce now to thy servant Jehovah will say, He will come down. 12And David will say, Will the lords of Keilah shut me up and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah will say, They will shut up. 13And David will rise, and his men, about six hundred men, and they will go forth from Keilah, and they will go wherever they will go. And it was announced to Saul that David escaped from Keilah; and he will cease to go forth. 14And David will dwell in the desert in fastnesses, and he will dwell in the mountain in the desert of Ziph. And Saul will seek him all the days, and God save him not into his hand.

15And David will see that Saul went forth to seek his soul: and David in the desert of Ziph in a thicket. 16And Jonathan, son of Saul, will rise and go to David to the thicket, and he will strengthen his hand in God. 17And he will say to him, Thou shalt not fear, for Saul's, my father's hand, shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be to thee for the second; and also Saul my father knew this. 18And they two will cut out a covenant before Jehovah: and David dwelt in the thicket, and Jonathan went to his house.

19And the Ziphites will go up to Saul to the hill, saying, Is not David hiding with us in the fastnesses in the thicket, in the hill of Hachilah, which is from the right of the desert? 20And now, according to all the desire of thy soul, O king, to come down, come down; and for us to shut him up into the hand of the king. 21And Saul will say, Blessed ye, by Jehovah; for ye had pity upon me. 22Go now, prepare yet, and know, and see his place where his foot shall be, who saw him there: for it was said to me being crafty, he will be crafty. 23And see ye, and know of all the hiding places where he will hide there, and turn back to me prepared, and I went with you: and it being if he is on earth, and I sought him in all the thousands of Judah.

24And they will rise and go to Ziph before Saul: and David and his men in the desert of Maon, in the sterile region to the right of Jeshimon. 25And Saul will go, and his men, to seek: and they will announce to David, and he will go down to the rock and dwell in the desert of the refuge. And Saul will hear and he will pursue after David in the desert of Maon. 26And Saul will go from the side of the mountain from hence, and David from the side of the mountain from thence: and David will be taking flight to go from the face of Saul; and Saul and his men surrounding upon David and upon his men to seize them. 27And a messenger came to Saul, saying, Hasten and come, for the rovers plundered upon the land. 28And Saul will turn back from pursuing after David, and he will go to meet the rovers: for this they called that place the Rock of Escapes. 29And David will go up from thence and dwell in the fastnesses of the Fountain of Goats.