23It was reported to David: "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and raiding the threshing floors."H5046H1732H559H6430H3898H7084H8154H16372So David inquired of the LORD: "Should I launch an attack against these Philistines?" The LORD answered David, "Launch an attack against the Philistines and rescue Keilah."H1732H7592H3068H559H3212H5221H6430H3068H559H1732H3212H5221H6430H3467H70843But David's men said to him, "Look, we're afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!"H1732H582H559H3373H3063H3212H7084H4634H64304Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: "Go at once to Keilah, for I will hand the Philistines over to you."H1732H7592H3068H3254H3068H6030H559H6965H3381H7084H5414H6430H30275Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, drove their livestock away, and inflicted heavy losses on them. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah.H1732H582H3212H7084H3898H6430H5090H4735H5221H1419H4347H1732H3467H3427H70846Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, and he brought an ephod with him.H54H1121H288H1272H1732H7084H3381H646H30277When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, "God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates."H5046H7586H1732H935H7084H7586H559H430H5234H3027H5462H935H5892H1817H12808Then Saul summoned all the troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.H7586H8085H5971H8085H4421H3381H7084H6696H1732H5829When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod."H1732H3045H7586H2790H7451H559H54H3548H5066H64610Then David said, "LORD God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.H559H1732H3068H430H3478H5650H8085H8085H7586H1245H935H7084H7843H589211Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? LORD God of Israel, please tell Your servant." The LORD answered, "He will come down."H1167H7084H5462H3027H7586H3381H5650H8085H3068H430H3478H5046H5650H3068H559H338112Then David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" "They will," the LORD responded.H559H1732H1167H7084H5462H582H3027H7586H3068H559H546213So David and his men, numbering about 600, left Keilah at once and moved from place to place. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition.H1732H582H8337H3967H376H6965H3318H7084H1980H834H1980H5046H7586H1732H4422H7084H2308H331814David then stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him.H1732H3427H4057H4679H3427H2022H4057H2128H7586H1245H3117H430H5414H302715David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.H1732H7200H7586H3318H1245H5315H1732H4057H2128H279316Then Saul's son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in [his faith in] God,H3083H7586H1121H6965H3212H1732H2793H2388H3027H43017saying, "Don't be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, and I'll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true."H559H3372H3027H7586H1H4672H4427H3478H4932H7586H1H304518Then the two of them made a covenant in the LORD's presence. Afterwards, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.H8147H3772H1285H6440H3068H1732H3427H2793H3083H1980H100419Some Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "David is hiding among us in the strongholds in Horesh on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon.H5927H2130H7586H1390H559H1732H5641H4679H2793H1389H2444H3225H345220Now, whenever the king wants to come down, let him come down. Our part will be to hand him over to the king."H4428H3381H185H5315H3381H5462H4428H302721"May you be blessed by the LORD," replied Saul, "for you have taken pity on me.H7586H559H1288H3068H255022Go and check again. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there; they tell me he is extremely cunning.H3212H3559H3045H7200H4725H7272H7200H559H6191H619123Look and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with accurate information, and I'll go with you. If it turns out he really is in the region, I'll search for him among all the clans of Judah."H7200H3045H4224H2244H7725H3559H1980H3426H776H2664H505H306324So they went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness near Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,H6965H3212H2128H6440H7586H1732H582H4057H4584H6160H3225H345225and Saul and his men went to look for [him]. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David there.H7586H582H3212H1245H5046H1732H3381H5553H3427H4057H4584H7586H8085H7291H310H1732H4057H458426Saul went along one side of the mountain and David and his men went along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away from Saul, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.H7586H3212H6654H2022H1732H582H6654H2022H1732H2648H3212H6440H7586H7586H582H5849H1732H582H5849H861027Then a messenger came to Saul saying, "Come quickly, because the Philistines have raided the land!"H935H4397H7586H559H4116H3212H6430H6584H77628So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation.H7586H7725H7291H310H1732H3212H7125H6430H7121H4725H555529From there David went up and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.H1732H5927H3427H4679H5872