They told Dawud, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors. 2Therefore Dawud inquired of Allah, saying, Shall I go and strike these Philistines? Allah said to Dawud, Go, and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah. 3Dawud’s men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? 4Then Dawudinquired of Allah yet again. Allah answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand. 5Dawudand his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and killed them with a great slaughter. So Dawudsaved the inhabitants of Keilah. 6It happened, when Abiathar Ibn Ahimelech fled to Dawud to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand. 7It was told Talut that Dawud had come to Keilah. Talut said, God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars. 8Talut summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege Dawud and his men. 9Dawud knew that Talut was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here. 10Then Dawud said, O Allah, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Talut seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Talut come down, as your servant has heard? Allah, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant. Allah said, He will come down. 12Then Dawud said, Will the men of Keilah deliver up to me and my men into the hand of Talut? Allah said, They will deliver you up. 13Then Dawud and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and went wherever they could go. It was told Talut that Dawud had escaped from Keilah; and he gave up going there. 14Dawud stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. Talut sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. 15Dawud saw that Talut had come out to seek his life: and Dawud was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16Jonathan Ibn Talut arose, and went to Dawudat Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. 17He said to him, Do not be afraid; for the hand of Talut my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; and that also Talut my father knows. 18The two made a covenant before Allah: and Dawud stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house. 19Then the Ziphites came to Talut at Gibeah, saying, Does not Dawud hide himself with us in the strongholds at Horesh, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? 20Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand. 21Talut said, Allah bless you; for you have had compassion on me. 22Please go make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for it is told me that he deals very subtly. 23See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come again to me certainly, and I will go with you: and it shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah. 24They arose, and went to Ziph ahead of Talut: but Dawud and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert. 25Talut and his men went to seek him. Dawud was told about it, so he came down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Talut heard that, he pursued Dawud in the wilderness of Maon. 26Talut went on one side of the mountain, and Dawud and his men on the other side of the mountain: and Dawud made haste to get away for fear of Talut; for Talut and his men surrounded Dawud and his men to take them. 27But there came a messenger to Talut, saying, Hurry, and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land. 28SoTalut returned from pursuing Dawud, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Escape Rock. 29Dawud went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.