1 Samuel 23:1-13

Someone told David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and stealing grain from the threshing floors.” David asked the LORD, “Should I go and fight these Philistines?” The LORD answered him, “Go. Attack them, and save Keilah.” But David’s men said to him, “We’re afraid here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistine army is.” David again asked the LORD, and the LORD answered, “Go down to Keilah. I will help you defeat the Philistines.” So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines and took their cattle. David killed many Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the holy vest with him when he came to David at Keilah.) Someone told Saul that David was now at Keilah. Saul said, “God has handed David over to me! He has trapped himself, because he has entered a town with gates and bars.” Saul called all his army together for battle, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men. David learned Saul was making evil plans against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the holy vest.” David prayed, “LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah to destroy the town because of me. Will the leaders of Keilah hand me over to Saul? Will Saul come down to Keilah, as I heard? LORD, God of Israel, tell me, your servant!” The LORD answered, “Saul will come down.” Again David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” The LORD answered, “They will.” So David and his six hundred men left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.